Wednesday 29 April 2015

A Parker Calibration

This is the third time Roderick arrange a Parker Calibration. Fun as always - thanks!

The concept is easy enough - 6 bottles decanted and presented to us blind. The only thing we now is that the big man have scored them 90, 92, 94, 96, 98 and the hight and mighty 100p. 
Our task is to figure out what wines have been and poured, score them ourselves and make a guess what score Parker have assigned each wine.

Ok, here we go.

Glass No 1
The first wine has a big, somewhat mature nose with notes of warm herbs, black fruits, a autumn forest walk and some dog fur. Ripe and fine. Very good.
The taste is warm and tight with sweet red and black fruits, undergrowth, meat stock and raspberry liquorice. A long, intense finish with some power still. Almost fully mature.
Very good, but I don´t really get a single grape so I´m going with a Châteauneuf-du-Pape from 2000. Geographically close...it is 1995 Côte-Rôtie, Jamet. I usually find Jamet´s Côte-Rôtie more peppery and meaty, but it is easy when you have the label before you...
I guess that Parker has scored it 92p. And so it is! :-) I am close with
91p   (tasted 2014/04)


 
Glass No 2
This is a stunner from the get go, although it kept on progressing all night long. A deep, intense, tight nose with notes of red and black cherries, raw rubber, expensive leather, some peppery scents and forest floor. Very focused and refined. Some new wood, that adds to the complexity. Very fine.
The taste is tight, focused and mouth filling with warm black fruits, moist undergrowth, warm herbs, cherry liquor and a hint of oak vanilla in the long, long finish. This is good!
Massive fruit, some new oak, warm herbs, I am going with a high end Garnacha from Spain. Ah, well. it is 1997 Côte-Rôtie La Landonne, Guigal. Tasted a  a few years back, and then I found it even greater.
I guess that Parker has scored this 96p, but the "thruth" is 98p. I give it
95p   (tasted 2015/04)

Glass No 3
This divided the crowd, from the best to the worst wine. I found a big, concentrated, sweet nose with lots of jammy, ripe cherries and additional notes of fried herbs, bonfire, flower water, warm tiles and raspberry vinegar. There is a lot going on here but it is complex and deep.
The taste is very big, very intense and very jammy with lots of everything - fruit, alcohol, tannins, wood. Yet, it ends balanced. Like a fine Riesling Auslese that initially feels sweet but ends (almost) dry. It is not really my cup of tea, but I am impressed.
Ok, this has to be a full throttled Châteauneuf-du-Pape from 2007! And so it is - 2007 Cuvèe du Quet, Mas de Boislauron.
I guess that Parker has scored this big one 98p, but of course this is the "perfect" wine - 100p. I am more modest with
94p   (tasted 2015/04)


 
Glass No 4
The fourth wine has a mature, soft nose with notes of mixed black fruits, warm tiles, tobacco, not perfectly clean stables and meat stock. Hard to pin down grape wise. Some smoke after a while. Very good.
The taste is more elegant than the nose with notes of black currants, blueberries, earth, smoke and some pine notes. Very balanced and fine. Almost fully mature. Very, very good.
Since I can´t get a clean grape variety, as with wine no 1, I´m going for a Châteauneuf-du-Pape from 1998. It is 1996 Cornas Cuvée V.V., Alain Voge. A fine wine in a perfect drinking stage.
I guess that Parker has scored this 90p. And guess what, he did! I think it is a bit better and I go with
91p   (tasted 2015/04)
 
Glass No 5
My favourite in the line up is a mammoth of a wine, yet with grace and balance. The nose is of a animal in heat with notes of blood, sweet flowers, ripe blueberries, pickled onions, parsnips, smoke and pipe tobacco. Some mint after a while. Just stunning. Deep, deep. Not for the faint hearted.
The taste is big and broad shouldered with notes of ripe raspberries, cherry jam, sweet root vegetables, mint chocolate mousse and tobacco. Some smoky notes in the minute long finish. There is some tannins lurking under the sweet fruit. A great wine.
A am guessing a California Syrah from around 2000. Close enough - it is 2001 Midnight Oil, Sine Qua Non. I am glad I have one bottle of this left.
I guess that Parker has given this a perfect score, but it is a 96´er. I think it is better and I give it
98p   (tasted 2015/04)


 
Glass No 6
The last wine has a big, outgoing nose with notes of white peppered raw meat, raspberries, eucalyptus, rosehips and fried basil. Very big and brawny, but very, very yummy. Deep.
The taste is steady and warm with notes of sweet black cherries, dried flowers, eucalyptus, mint chocolate and moist earth. A very long, warm finish. This is good!
I´m going with a Aussie Shiraz on this one, from about 2005. Partly right but it is older - 1998 Stonewell Shiraz, Peter Lehmann.
I guess that Parker is 94p on this...and so he is! I´m close with
93p   (tasted 2015/04)
 

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