Tasting Note - Region Matching Quiz!

Lurid orange. Leather, smoke, and licorice. Wet stone. We all know tasting notes can be confusing. But, amidst all of these descriptors of smell and taste you can learn a lot about a wine, even where it is from. Read the tasting notes below and see if you can correctly identify the region that produced the wine. Stumped? Check out the user posts from the regions featured for some more examples and inspiration. 1.) "Rich, powerful and enveloping, this wine is endowed with serious volume and textural resonance. Super-ripe plum, smoke and spice notes emerge in the glass, but only with great reluctance. Although the aromatics aren't giving much at this point, the palate is much more expressive. Their sheer power and authoritative tone result in an unusually dramatic wine. The 2015 is 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Merlot that spent 20 months in oak, which is a bit more than the norm." 2.) "The 2014 is a terrific example of the vintage at its best. Mocha, espresso, grilled herbs, leather, smoke and licorice are all fused together in this super-expressive, nuanced wine. In 2014, the wine is not as exuberant or rich as it can be, but that is really not an issue at all. The 2014 is a gorgeous wine in the making, that's all there is to it." 3.) "Very pale, lurid orange. A deeply perfumed bouquet evokes mineral-accented citrus and pit fruits, along with a powerful floral overtone. Coats the palate with juicy nectarine blood orange, strawberry and lavender flavors that take a sweeter turn and tighten up on the back half. The floral note comes back strong on an impressively long, focused finish that shows excellent clarity and solid mineral thrust." 4.) "An utterly haunting wine, the 2014 is sweet, perfumed and light on its feet. The purity of the aromatics and flavors is striking, but it is the wine's overall sense of harmony and polish that is most remarkable. Rose petal, lavender, mint and bright fruit are finely sketched in this stunningly beautiful, vivid wine." 5.) "A fascinating nose mingles sea breeze, intimations of wet stone, and smoky struck flint with high-toned nut extracts, ripe nectarine and mango. The lusciously fruited, creamy, almost weightless palate leads into a sensationally sustained, at once soothing and stimulating finish that left my salivary glands palpitating and that, for all of its sheer richness, not to mention high residual sugar, displays a fascinating array of stony, smoky and saline mineral nuances." Read on for the answers listed below. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1.) Bordeaux, France 2015 Lafite-Rothschild 2.) Napa Valley, California 2014 Sloan Estate 3.) Côtes De Provence, Provence 2017 Château Gassier 946 Côtes de Provence Sainte-Victoire Rosé 4.) Piedmont, Italy 2014 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cerretta 5.) Mosel, Germany 2016 Fritz Haag Riesling Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Auslese #10 How many did you get right? 4-5: You crushed it! Pick of the bunch. 2-3: Solid effort! 0-1: Corked. Better luck next time!

Château Lafite Rothschild

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2015

Delectable Wine

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9.6

Rich, powerful and enveloping, the 2015 Lafite-Rothschild is endowed with serious volume and textural resonance. Super-ripe plum, smoke and spice notes emerge in the glass, but only with great reluctance. Although the aromatics aren't giving much at this point, the palate is much more expressive. The wine's sheer power and authoritative tone result in an unusually dramatic Lafite. The 2015 is 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Merlot that spent 20 months in oak, which is a bit more than the norm. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, February 2018) — 6 months ago

Tom, Mike and 5 others liked this

Château Montlandrie

Castillon Côtes De Bordeaux Red Bordeaux Blend 2015

Daniel P. Drake

9.2

Tonight I have opened the Right Bank 2015 Château Montlandrie Castillon Cótes de Bordeaux. The winemaker is the owner Denis Durantou with a blend of 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.

With an expressive nose of black cherry, blackberry, plum, black currant, licorice, violets, menthol and crushed gravel.

On the palate is black cherry, blackberry, black plum, black currant, black pepper, licorice, bakers chocolate and graphite.

The is a voluptuous medium to full bodied velvety smooth wine with medium + acidity and medium + fine grippy mouth coating tannins that lead to a long clean fresh finish. Enjoy your weekend and while doing so please be safe. Nostrovia! 🍷🍷🍷🍷 — 6 months ago

Ken, P and 25 others liked this

Peter van den Besselaar

One of the interesting right bank AOC’s

Chappellet

Pritchard Hill Estate Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.7

The 2015 ‘Pritchard Hill’ Cabernet Sauvignon by Chappellet is a stunning new wine by this storied Napa winery. Sourced from their estate vineyard, the Cabernet Sauvignon was aged for 22 months in new French oak prior to bottling. This bold, yet elegant wine shows very dark aromas of espresso bean, tar, cassis and anise that all collide in the glass. The palate shows off a silky texture, yielding both incredible tension and viscosity. Black cherry compote, mocha, anise, cigar ash and chocolate covered black raspberry flavors all impress on the palate. The exceedingly long finish lingers long on the palate. While exceptional in its youth, this esteemed wine will only improve with extended bottle age. Drink 2020-2040- 97 — 6 months ago

Peter, David and 24 others liked this

Peggy Hadley

One of my favorites.

Sloan

Rutherford Red Bordeaux Blend 2014

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9.8

The 2014 Sloan is a terrific example of the vintage at its best. Mocha, espresso, grilled herbs, leather, smoke and licorice are al fused together in this super-expressive, nuanced wine. In 2014, the Sloan is not as exuberant or rich as it can be, but that is really not an issue at all. The 2014 is a gorgeous wine in the making, that's all there is to it. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, March 2018) — 6 months ago

Tom liked this

Giacomo Conterno

Cerretta Barolo Nebbiolo 2014

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9.7

An utterly haunting wine, the 2014 Barolo Cerretta is sweet, perfumed and light on its feet. The purity of the aromatics and flavors is striking, but it is the wine's overall sense of harmony and polish that is most remarkable. Rose petal, lavender, mint and bright fruit are finely sketched in this stunningly beautiful, vivid Barolo from Roberto Conterno. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, February 2018) — 6 months ago

Willem, Anthony De and 4 others liked this

Château Latour

Grand Vin de Château Latour Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1996

Jörgen Lindström Carlvik

Owner, Brix Wine Consultants

9.5

Always a treat to drink legendary wines like this one. Served blind in the garden at my parents house, the settlements weren’t perfect, but still the true quality shone though. Developed dark berries, partially dried and framed by bitter chocolate notes and pronounced minerality. Great finish, broad and self confident. In a perfect spot already. — a year ago

Eric, Shay and 34 others liked this

Bevan Cellars

Sugarloaf Mountain Proprietary Red Blend 2016

Eric LaMasters

9.7

This is so amazingly delicious! Blackberry, dark chocolate, and licorice with a super-sexy plush texture. No trace of heat; just perfect balance. Wow — 6 months ago

Shay, Ryan and 31 others liked this

Shay A

Delicious stuff @Eric LaMasters ! Nice pull.

Château Gassier

946 Sainte-Victoire Rosé Blend 2017

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9.3

Very pale, lurid orange. A deeply perfumed bouquet evokes mineral-accented citrus and pit fruits, along with a powerful floral overtone. Coats the palate with juicy nectarine blood orange, strawberry and lavender flavors that take a sweeter turn and tighten up on the back half. The floral note comes back strong on an impressively long, focused finish that shows excellent clarity and solid mineral thrust. (Josh Raynolds, Vinous, August 2018) — 6 months ago

P liked this

Fritz Haag

Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Auslese Riesling 2016

Delectable Wine

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9.5

A fascinating nose mingles sea breeze, intimations of wet stone, and smoky struck flint with high-toned nut extracts, ripe nectarine and mango. The lusciously fruited, creamy, almost weightless palate leads into a sensationally sustained, at once soothing and stimulating finish that left my salivary glands palpitating and that, for all of its sheer richness, not to mention high residual sugar, displays a fascinating array of stony, smoky and saline mineral nuances. (David Schildknecht, Vinous, January 2018) — 6 months ago

Emily liked this