Solihull Fine Wine Society, February meeting.

Down to earth after our anniversary dinner.
Mark put on 4 flights, 2:3:3:2, in each a French wine and one from
elsewhere.

Blind as usual. my embarrasing notes.

..Gewurtztraminer, Somomtano DO, Vinas del Vero 2002...£7.95. Spain,
foothills of Pyrenees
Very pale, restrained petrol grease nose, very light simple, Mosel.
Riesling. Picnic wine

Gewurtzaminer, Zind-Humbrecht Herrenweg de Turckheim, 2000, £16.99
Deep bright gold, almost botrytic nose, spicy. Fat entry, unctous, spice,
finishes long, superb. So much weight, must be a Vendage Tardive Riesling.

Chardonnay, Wither Hills, 2001, Marlborough, NZ £8.95
Pale bright straw, strange wet towel nose, buttery, Suprising fat entry,
good balance long, almost demi-sec. Colonial chardonnay.

Puligny-Montrachet, Les Enseigneres, 2000, Vincent Giardin £15
Pale straw, an aniseed nose and oil of wintergreen, not unpleasant. Mirror
image to the previous wine. Very acidic, with some fruit, but out of
balance. OK ish.
Could be Italian Chard.

Chardonnay, Catena agrelo 2001, Mendoza, Argentine. £9.95
Pale straw, big legs, wonderful buttery nose, spice. Wonderful balance of
fruit and acidity, fresh as a daisy, long. Definite Chablis or Mersault.

Ch. La Lagune, 1996 £23.50
A dull wine with a ? corked nose, opened up after 30mins to vegetal and
spice, cigarbox. Mean and austere wine, out of balance. ? duff bottle.
A second bottle, was produced, cellar temp. Better, but still raw on the
nose and finished mean. Spanish Cab.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Vasse Felix, Western Oz, 1996, £13.50
Bright deep, no browning, wonderful in your face raw claret nose, spice and
pencil shavings, super soft entry with big tannins and fruit Long, some
bitterness. Good colonial cabernet.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Ridge, Santa Cruz Mountains 1997. £19
Incredible extract, a dumb stewed plum nose, complex. Huge soft entry with
big tannins, full fruit, Too young, leave and try again. Almost merlotic. Is
it French?If it is then where from.....Pomerol, no it is
cabernet............I'm stuck.

R.B.J. Theologicum,1999, Western Oz, £14.10, deep with hint of brown, a
tarry vegetal nose, molassses spice. Light entry with little tanninn. Very
pleasant luncheon wine. A Southern rhone-like colonial.

C-de-P, La Crau, Dom du Vieux Telegraphe, 1998, £13.
Bright and young, good extract, Classic S Rhone with a lot of Cab! on the
nose, Full fat and tannic, great spicy fruit, long++ Try again 5 years,.
HOORAY, I got one right.

These were confidence destroying wines. I was not the only one to make a
real balls up of this lot.
Bill, Mark, Dale etc have you ever had a nightmare tasting like this?

Best wines were the Catena and the Ridge, no wonder the French are worried.

JT