Theme: Volcanic Wines - We will do our usual blind tasting method.
Bring: TWITs should bring a bottle of volcanic wine. It can be a white or a red wine, but within the specified price range (Up to $20/bottle for Singles, between $20 - $40/bottle for Couples)
More information on Volcanic Wines.
"Volcanic soils are rich in calcium, iron and magnesium, as well as other elements, which can contribute to a wine’s minerality. These soils also allow water to be delivered to the roots of vines very slowly, which can be a lifesaver during a dry growing season when vines must rely on groundwater to survive. Oh, and they look cool, too: black never goes out of style."
Why did Josh & Karin pick "Volcanic Wines" as the theme?
Josh explained that they had first tried a volcanic wine in Portland, Williamette Valley, and they were told "you either love it, or you hate it", and they decided they loved it. Karin said it was also a nice geography lesson, learning about the different volcanic areas in the world. Some volcanic areas include: New Zealand, Chile, Italy, Portland Oregon, Calistoga/Napa area, etc.
Tasting Notes:
Welcome Wine: 2013 Azienda Agricola Inama Vin Soave Classico, Verona Italy ~ $20 @ Sherlocks
100% Gargenega, 12% alcohol
white wine, light, sweetish, off-dry, grassy, rain, acidity, tart, 3 day old campfire, ash,
1) 2010 Assemblage Barken Reichan Galilee - $29 @ Costco
67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 13% Shiraz 13.5% alcohol
red wine, smoky head, tar, subtle smoke, bbq, not quite opaque, spice, white pepper, Val guesses California fine wine, fruit forward, gorgeous wood, citrus, tangerine, cherry, subtle charcoal nose, carmelly, charred barrel, berry cherry, spice like a pinot but not, you can almost taste the burnt ash in the back of your throat, high clarity, could be a pinot, why not? cloves, doesn't linger, like a good cigar at the end, a very sexy clove cigarette, black fruit, chocolate, nougat, promises even more pleasure with age.
2) 2011 Vestini Campagnano Kajanero Terre del Volturno IGT, Campania Italy - $15.99 @ Brookhaven Wines
Blend of Casavecchia, Pallagrello Nero, 13.5% alcohol
crunk on the nose, tar, LODI, resurfaced road, asphalt, tar bubble, burning oil, cheese, so intense, not subtle at all, Whew! powerful! Holy I-285, sulphur, mackerel, shell fish, inside of volcano or oil-well, sea air, full bodied, dark chocolate, blackberry, palate has fruit, then a dip of olive/brine, then spice, needs food, rustic meats, licorice, anise, molasses
3) 2009 Aglianico Mastroberardino Campania Italy - $20 @ Broohaven Wines
100% Aglianico, 13% alcohol
gumballs, dark deep brown/brick color, funky, compost, meringue, smoky cocktail, Matt says Tuscan Sangiovese, flowers in manure, foxglove, burnt twig, gardenia, perfumey, the palate doesn't hold up to the aromas, palate is not that intense, great foreplay but terribly quick finish, quaffable, lighter, "the young inexperienced pool boy"
4) 2012 Mastroberardino Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio Rosso DOC - $17-18 @ Brookhaven Wines, 100% Piedirosso, 12.5% alchol
subtle smoke & chocolate, milky way, soft, silky, smoky vanilla, overly burnt bbq, but in a good way, caramel, burnt tires, briny, pickles, smooth with spice, pepper, pickles and pepper, salt, a lot of minerals, honey, 1 dimensional, hyacinth, oysters, fleshy, coppery, would not order a 2nd glass, ashy aftertaste, not a good kisser, honey vanilla caramel,
5) 2012 I Vigneri, Etna Rosso, Sicily, Italy - $45 @ Le Caveau Fine Wines
Blend of Nerello Cappuccio, Nerello Mascalese, 14% alcohol
tar, stinky, leather, humidor, stallion, manly, burly wine, alpha male, animal sweat in a good way, Burgundy-esque, flowers & manure, grass, healthy countryside, green grass, brushy dried green, earthy, wildflowers, sweet banana, hot nose, pepper, this wine treats a woman right, rustic, balanced, lingers, huge body, "I would take this wine home with me"
*** THIS WINE WON THE VOTE for BEST WINE OF THE NIGHT ***
6) 2011 J Bookwalter Sub-Plot #27 Columbia Washington - $20 at Brookhaven Wines
41% Syrah, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Malbec, 8% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot, 14.2% alcohol
asphalt, skunk-o-rama, good weed (you know what we mean), fresh rubber, latex, grapefruit peel, bitter pith, oily garage, honeybees & flowers in the garage, chewing burnt rubber, chocolatey, apple cider palate, could be Hobbit Wine (aka New Zealand), dry, rubbermaid dishwashing gloves, ashy
7) 2013 Frank Cornelissen MunJebel no. 10 Rosso - $39.99 @ Le Caveau Fine Wines
100% Nerello Mascalese, 15% alcohol
apricots, baby food, peaches, astringent, rubbing alcohol, citrus, lemongrass, dishwashing soap, grassy, mineral, sulphur, sodium, chocolate apricot, peach leaves, fresh cut grass, sweet rosy, liver, iron-y, black pudding, effervescent, fluffy, like sucking on a nail as you do, special k breakfast with added iron, crazy palate, aroma of grandma's bonnet, orangey, odd, so crazy, complex, magma, liquid hot earth, tricky, the Loki wine
Special notes: This is a RARE wine, hard to get. There were only 24 cases made, and only 10 cases imported into the United States. Le Caveau received 1 case. ONE! and we got 1 bottle to share with our beloved TWITs. Some trivia, about the label, Frank has a penchant for Japanese women, but he lives in Sicily so it was hard to get one to stay. Eventually he did find one, and married her. :)
8) 2008 Tenuta del Portale Aglianico del Vulture Reserva $20 @ Total Wine
100% Aglianico 13% alcohol
dust, sugar dust, caramel chocolate, sea dust, poorly kept old people, thyme, mature manure, crumbly manure, licorice, anise, dry, tart, dusty, ashy, woody, acetone, pine, effervescent on tongue, fresh vampire, canned tomato, its solid, not very interesting, this is #1, pretty darn good, tobacco, smelly socks on the floor for like a week, rubber hose, new flip flops
9) 2012 Fuedo Principi di Butera, Sicily, $20 @ Brookhaven Wines
100% Nero d'Avola 14% alcohol
a lot of tires, seductive, ink out of a calligraphy pen, toasted honey, caramel, sweet, skunk on edge softens and melts into caramel, smoky caramel, we smell past the skunk, seaspray on smoky soil, tire store, salted caramel, inky
