WILKINS@SRI-WARBUCKS.ARPA (02/12/86)
From: Wilkins <WILKINS@SRI-WARBUCKS.ARPA> Results of tasting: 1983 Red Burgundy 10 February 1986 Lowest score is best, last columns show division of votes. Each wine was ranked as being first through eighth by 21 tasters. This was a tasting organized by Ross Bott and included many experienced wine tasters. Points Cost Ident First Second Third Last 68 83 Bonnes Mares (Clair Dau) 49.00 E 5 5 3 0 82 83 Pommard Argillieres (Lajeune) 35.00 F 4 3 4 2 88 82 Nuit S George Cailles Chevillon 24.00 A 1 4 2 2 90 83 Pommard clos des Boucherottes 35.00 H 4 3 2 2 (domaine de Coste-Caumartin) 94 83 Adelsheim Pinot Noir (Oregon) 11.30 C 4 3 1 3 98 83 Nuit S George Vignes Rond (Rion)30.00 D 1 2 4 3 104 83 Gev Chambertin Cherbaute Boillot31.00 B 1 1 3 3 131 83 Chapelle Chambertin (Trapet) 35.00 G 0 0 2 6 Summary of results and my personal tasting notes: All eight wines were quite light in color. The group had a clear first, clear last, and 6-way tie in between. I thought 2 wines stood out from the group, the same two ranked 1-2 by the group, though I picked the Pommard first. The nose was open, long, flowery, with cherries and violets, complex. In the mouth, lots of class, rich fruit, wonderful pinot character, moderate tannin, good balance and structure, and a long finish. Ross can get it for $25 and that is reasonable. The Bonnes Mares was also superb. Nose was deep and thick, almost a eucalyptus hint with rich fruit. In the mouth, rich, velvety fruit, great length and balance, smooth with moderate tannin and a long finish. This should age well, but I'm not sure it's wonderful enough for my $50. The Rion Nuit was my clear third -- not in the same class as the first two, but better than the other 5. The nose was open, flowery, rich, deep and interesting. It seemed closed in the mouth with good length, good pinot character, oak, vanilla, and a long finish. Good stuff but expensive. Next I had a group of 3, that I liked about equally, though they are quite different from each other. The 82 Nuit was my fourth with an interesting, light nose and more of a smokey, leathery character. Similar in the mouth with a good finish, moderate tannin and oak. The Adelsheim had a nice, fruity pinot nose that was long, with a vegetal hint and a hint of volatile acidity. In the mouth it had good, rich, fruit, a hint of sour cherries, and was quite elegant and interesting. One of the best buys here. The Chapelle Chambertin was also quite good though its lace place finish is not surprise since it had so much sulfer in the nose initially that you wondered where the sewage plant was. After an hour or more it had blown off enough that you could get near it without being overcome by the fumes. And it was actually quite nice with a vanilla and pinot character. It also seemed to have a bitter hint in the mouth initially that blew off and it eventually showed nice pinot fruit and a good finish. The Pommard Boucherottes was a disappointment. The nose was closed and unexciting, though pleasant with hints of cocoa. In the mouth, nice cherry fruit, oak, moderate tannin, nice finish. My main complaint is that it seemed to fall apart instead of get better as it aired. And once again, I picked the Boillot wine last. Like the others we had last month, it was very woody and tannic with a hint of astringency. The nose was closed now, and the mouth showed wood and tannin in large doses, a steely edge, and not much of a middle. Ross says I'll be sorry in several years when it ages wonderfully, but I'll let others invest their money in this one. Pre wines: 78 Marion Cabernet -- this is still doing nicely for inexpensive wine. Enjoyable, burgundian character, and still some fruit. The 82 Buehler Cabernet had a closed nose of paste and ethyl acetate. In the mouth it was tannic, green, harsh with lots of tight fruit (as Charlie put it, "for youthful offensiveness, I accuse B"). The 77 Sherrill Cellars Shell Creek Cabernet got the same notes it got last time in the 77 Cab tourney: strange, tannic, sour, odd, unexciting. -------