TASTINGS & EVENTS

Tasting Notes ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Friday's wine tasting will include four (4) new offerings from Areni Selections, which will be poured by their newest sales representative: Melissa Yakimowsky. You've all met Melissa when she worked for Wine-Cask Imports, so don't be shy and ask her plenty of questions about these new wines that we believe are perfect for the upcoming summer season.   

 

Domaine de l'Olivette, Mare Nostrum Rosé 2024 - Domaine de l'Olivette has been run by the same family for over 200 years. The Estate started out with a mix of agricultural offerings, including wheat fields, fruit orchards, vineyards, and olive groves (which gave the estate its name). They started focusing on wine making in the 1930s and saw the establishment of the regions own Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC Bandol). The property is located in the commune of Le Castellet, approximately 5 miles from the Mediterranean Sea. This wine is a blend of Grenache, Cinsault, and Mourvèdre , which is fermented and aged in stainless steel vats. According to the winemaker, this wine's "nose is delicate with notes of nectarine and mandarin orange. The palate is balanced, with a hint of spices and lively acidity." With different ocean themed pictures on the label, you are going to want to grab more than one. 

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Domaine de la Meuliere, Petit Chablis 2022 - The Meuliere family has been growing grapes in the Chablis region since 1779. They are located in the village of Fleys, approximately 4 km from Chablis and have 30 hectares (74.13 acres) of vineyards located on (largely) clay-limestone soils, with this specific plot containing Portlandian limestone. This bottle holds 100% Chardonnay grapes that are hand picked and fermented and aged in stainless steel vats. According to the winemaker "the nose offers notes of hawthorn and acacia, accompanied by lime and grapefruit over a mineral base. The palate is zesty, light, with balanced acidity and a lingering salty whiff on the finish."

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Corte Bravi, Valpolicella DOC Classico 2023 - Organically certified blend of 50% Corvinone, 35% Corvina and 15% Rondinella. The grapes are hand picked and fermented with indigenous yeast in stainless steel tanks. Aging occurs in a mix of stainless steel and amphora for approximately six (6) months, with an additional two (2) months in the bottle prior to release. According to the winemaker, "the nose emerge[s with] scents of strawberry and cherry, [and] with notes of raspberry. [On the palate] the red fruits meet the expectations of the aromas. Sapidity and crispness make it a pleasant wine, suitable for many occasions." Fresh and vibrant, this wine can be chilled down on a hot summer day.

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Criolin, Barbera D'Asti DOCG 2023 - Located in the rolling hills of Monferrato in southern Piemonte, this 100% Barbera is (organically) grown in a mix of marl and clay that is fermented and aged in stainless steel. According to the winemaker, the nose has a " fragrant sweet spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and incense mingle with notes of dark cherry, blackberry, and violets. The palate is chewy and firm, framed by a light tannic structure."

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Saturday is a whole different tasting as we celebrate "The Judgment of Paris" that took place on May 24, 1976. We will be holding our own blind tasting, including US and French based wines that are loosely based off of the original players of the Paris tasting. Will the California wines wine top honors in both categories again?  You will be the judge.  The wines we will be sampling (blindly), includes the following:

 

Red:

Ridge, Cabernet Sauvignon NV - Ridge's 1971 Monte Bello submission earned them 5th place at the Paris tasting. This selection is a special limited bottling of 70 barrels that includes 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc. While most of this wine comes from the Fredson Ranch, some of the Cabernet Sauvignon is from the famed Monte Bello Vineyard, which provides structure and complexity. How will this non-vintage bottling with just a smattering of grapes from the Monte Bello Vineyard fair in our competition? 

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Brendal, Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2019 - Brendal was not a participant in the Paris tasting, but it's owner, Heitz Cellars, came in 9th place in the competition. That doesn't sound great. However, in 1986, during a subsequent re-tasting of the same vintages opened during the Paris tasting, a new panel of judges put the Heitz Cellars bottle on the top of the list. While this was a totally different competition, the rise in ranks is something to be proud of. The winemaker for Heitz Cellars, Brittany Sherwood, also makes the wines at Brendal (at a fraction of the price). Maybe this Bordeaux style blend will rise to the top of the ranks again?

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Chateau Montrose, La Dame de Montrose 2019 - Some of the French judges were not happy with the result of the Paris tasting. This included Odette Kahn, who demanded her ballot back after the results were announced. The French, however, did not perform poorly. In fact, for the red wine category, they took three (3) of the top five places. Chateau Montrose, which has been owned by just three (3) families over the last two (2) centuries, came in fourth place in the competition. This bottling is not their flagship, but is made under Chateau Montrose's same rigorous standards as their first bottling. How will it stand up to the American upstarts this time?

 

Domaine Clarence Dillon, Saint-Émilion de Quintus 2020 - Domaine Clarence Dillon was founded in 1935 with the purchase of Château Haut-Brion (Pessac-Leognan appellation). At the Paris tasting, Château Haut-Brion came in third place. The winery is now run by Prince Robert de Luxembourg. This bottling is a blend of 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc from the Saint-Emilion appellation, which is one of the newer properties of Domaine Clarence Dillon. Being the newcomer, however, hasn't stopped this wine from making waves for it smooth and round palate. Will it rise in the ranks at our blind tasting?

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White:

Grgich Hills Estate, Chardonnay 2021 - Grgich Hills Estate didn't come into existence until a year after the Paris tasting.  So why are we including it? Mike Grgich was the winemaker for Chateau Montelena, which won top honors for the best Chardonnay at the tasting.  How will his his legacy hold up at our tasting?

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Domaine Joseph Drouhin, Macon-Lugny Les Crays 2021 - The Paris tasting saw Domaine Joseph Drouhin take 5th place for their bottling of Beaune Clos des Mouches. Can they surpass the American offering with this Chardonnay made 20 km away in the south of Burgundy?