Red, White and Sweet!

Last weekend, a dear friend of mine came over for some wine tasting. She and I have known each other since our grade school days and went to college together as well. Now that we've all grown up, I only get to see her about twice a year, so this get-together was particularly special! After our tasting, we chatted up our current lives and agreed that we must do this every time we meet! What a fantastic afternoon - wine and good friends - exactly what I find wine to be all about! Below are both of our tasting notes.

Note: I was able to go back and taste it a few times since our initial tasting; those are noted in my notes.

2008 Frog’s Leap, Sauvignon Blanc Rutherford
J. Wei: Popped and poured – color initially bothered me a little as it was really light yellow, almost pale. One sniff and it completely brought me back into this wine. Nose full of pear, green apple, honeydew along with hints of vanilla. Just absolutely gorgeous! Fresh lush fruits dominate the core of the nose with crème brulee and floral aromas giving it a perfect finishing touch – absolutely wonderful! Palate of citrus fruits – I get a little of tangerine on the finish, but predominantly pear and green apples again. A very crisp and fresh wine! No oak, no heaviness – just very simple, clean and crisp. Texture is a little weak but the nose is just lovely! Can’t get over the nose! Absolutely fantastic! 89+ pts

B. Sheth: Initial nose gave me very smooth, creamy aromas, together with apples and pears. The wine smelled so fresh and crisp – perfect with fresh cucumbers, cheese and crackers on a hot summer afternoon! Hints of vanilla completes the absolutely beautiful nose. On the palate, wow! It is so yummy! The wine is what I like to call “soft,” yet truly brings out the citrus fruit. Green apple not showing as much in the palate than the nose, but the pears are truly present. Great sauvignon blanc with a truly amazing nose. 90 pts

2005 Chante Cigale, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
J. Wei: Double decanted the night before. Color of deep garnet and ruby red on the rims. Nose of massively scorched earth with hints of spices and cedar. Floral perfume blended with oak lingers behind, with almost a cigar smoke like aromas. Dark fruit dominates the core – mostly cherries with a touch of cassis. On the palate, although firm tannins currently carries the majority of the weight, black cherries are definitely coming through. Spices still present, along with crushed rocks and minerals – has a medium finish. Surprisingly approachable as its still in its youth, although the wine should improve over the next 5-10 years. Will revisit again.

Revisited the wine the second night. Once again, the nose is full of earth, smoke, spices and oak. Ever walk through a forest after a forest fire? That’s how the earth and smokiness smelled like! Black peppers coming through the massive in your face oak. On the palate, this wine is still very tannic. Dark fruit is noticeable – mainly black cherries along with cassis. Oak and spices are still very dominant throughout, with a mixture of minerals and wet rocks. Texture is quite complex as it’ll take years to develop and integrate – but when it does, it’ll truly be a fine wine. Finish remains medium-long, lasting roughly 20 seconds.

As I wrote the previous night, this wine is definitely in its infancy and will remain so for the next 8 years. Cellar for at least 10+ years – should be amazing then! Currently: 89 pts Potentially: 92 pts

B. Sheth: Double decanted the night before. Nose gives off a formidable oaky aroma – almost reminds me of Yosemite in the blazing summer! As I can recall, I’ve never encountered a nose this oaky – truly feels like smelling a forest that hasn’t gotten any rain for 3 months. Very earthy indeed! On the palate, flavors of blackberries with hints of black cherries come forth. Once again, the earthy tones and oak overshadow much of the other flavors. The wine is still very young with tannins controlling much of the finish, although I do get some red pepper lingering. Good with almonds. This wine will certainly improve over the next 10 years. For now, not very much to my liking. 85 pts

2003 Castelnau de Suduiraut
J. Wei: Popped and poured. Through the glass, a beautiful golden hue giving off almost a rich presence. Initial sniff gave off a very unimpressive, almost appalling reaction. Nose at first, was dominated by a strong presence of nail polish remover/varnish like smell. After a few minutes, rich caramel began to creep in along with toasty honey and hints of potpourri. On the palate, oh my lord! Wow! Bam, in your face sweetness that I would have never expected from this wine from what I got from the initial nose. This Sauterne is full of sweet, thick caramel melted with ripe, chewy raisins; I also get hints of cinnamon of the finish. This wine has a nice texture to it – sugar is obviously at the core of this wine, but isn’t over the top sweet. I will visit this in a few days.

Upon approaching this wine three nights later – it’s as if the wine went through a complete transformation! No longer is the nose unimpressive, no longer does it give off that nail polish remover/varnish like smell – quite the contrary, the nose is beautiful, full of rich, ripe pineapples, caramel, vanilla cream and a touch of cinnamon. I also get hints of lemon and toasted pie crusts – just absolutely lovely! The wine is much smoother on the palate, showing great fruit; once again, the pineapple and caramel remains at the core with ripe apricots. Great texture, good acidity, although the finish is a little on the short side. Still, a fantastic introduction to Sauterne for me; can’t wait to get my hands on a 2001 d’Yquem! 90 pts

B. Sheth: My first Sauterne, how exciting! Nose is quite beautiful – reminds me of pear dipped in rich caramel. Initially, there are hints of oak – smelling like autumn in Main! (Or perhaps the very color of the beautiful wine reminds me of the golden colored maple leaves during autumn!) This wine is subtle, yet gives off a composed presence. On the palate, wow! A punch-you-in-the-face sweetness as the melted caramel and raisins engulf your taste buds. Never would have expected this – this wine smells and tastes completely differently. Very smooth finish. A good introduction to Sauternes for me! 87 pts