5 Bottles Of Syrah & A Fizzy Zinfandel...

Our tasting group had its monthly session yesterday and Roderick was pouring. Thanks!
All tasted double blind.

2012 Grosse Reserve Chardonnay Trocken, Weingut Aldinger
First we got a tasting sample. We all pegged it as a Chardonnay, but then we were off. From Germany? Really? It has a medium deep, nice nose with notes of lemon cream, hazel nuts, star anise and spices. A fine warmth. Very good.
The taste is warm, spicy and perky with notes of lemon peel, summer flowers, grapefruit and minerals. A medium long, fine finish. This is drinking very well.
87p   (tasted 2014/08)

Then we were, as usual, presented with 6 decanters and not a clue. Tasting double blind is the most fun form of tasting. And most often deep lessons in humility...
2002 Boekenhoutskloof
The first wine has a deep and dark nose with creamy notes of black fruit, new leather, bay leaves, capers and a nice perfumed scent. A good depth. A hint of maturity. Very, very good.
The taste is warm, peppery and deep with notes of blackberries, Christmas spices, meat stock and earth. Long and fine. This has started to mature but isn´t there quite yet. Very fine.
91p   (tasted 2014/08)

1995 Cornas Cuvée Les Vieilles Fontaines, Alain Voge
If it smells like a Bordeaux and taste like a Bordeux, shouldn´t it be a Bordeaux then? Apparently not.
A round, mature, soft nose with notes of red and black currants, dry tobacco, warm grass and some stables in a distance. A bit narrow but good none the less.
The taste is cool an tight with mature note sin the shape of dried red currants, autumn leaves, pencil shavings and dry grass. The finish is medium long and nicely balanced. Very good with the food. A Cornas? Ah, well...
87p   (tasted 2014/08)

2001 Le Roc des Mates, Château de Cazeneuve
A warm, semi mature, dense nose with notes of sweet blueberries, garrigue, iron and scorched earth. It has depth and intensity but it is a bit withdrawn. Doesn´t open up much during the evening.
The taste is warm, a tad fiery and long with notes of raspberries, resin, fried herbs and liquorice. The finish has some unresolved tannins. Long and warm, a bit too much for my liking.
85p   (tasted 2014/08)

2001 Les Aspres, Domaine Cros
Hands down my favourite in the line up. I guessed it to be a great SQN! The nose is big, broad shouldered and wearing a Zegna suit. Stunning notes of plums, moist earth, violets, blood & iron, lavender and a hint of cardamom. This is the real thing!
The taste is big, steady and intense with notes of blackberries, plums, dark chocolate and a hint of soya. It has energy, complexity and hedonism in one package. Tasted many, many times before with the same impression, here are two notes - here & here.
96p   (tasted 2014/08)

1998 RWT, Penfolds
This was apparently just the second vintage of RWT (Red Wine Trial), but it needs some more trials to get it right...because this isn´t good. A big, shallow nose with lots of toothpaste, sweetened blackberries, tar and vanilla powder. Lot of make up but not much underneath.
The taste is massive and dry with the tannins on one side, the acidity on another and the sweet fruit somewhere else. Lots of VA. This would probably work better as a paint remover.
62p   (tasted 2014/08)

1997 Hayne Vineyards Zinfandel, Turley
Roderick did say before pouring that this was not really in the line up. And what did we get? A 17,1% fizzy wine! Yes, it actually had some sparkle feeling on both the nose and the taste. On the nose there are notes of cooked black cherries, band aid, chocolate and molasses. A very sweet nose. A bit ungainly. But not all that bad.
The taste is warm and seedy with notes of black cherry jam, chocolate mousse, lavender and hot earth. A long, warm finish. The finish isn´t that bad after all. It behaves more balanced when the first wave of fruit have disappeared.
78p   (tasted 2014/08)