| Champagne & Port Tasting Report - Part II |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
Since the Holidays are upon us, I thought it would
be fun to re-visit a tasting we did our first year of
existence. A Champagne/Sparkling wine and Port
Tasting. Back then we had five sparklers and
only two Ports to taste. This time we had three
sparklers, two from Champagne, France and one
from Veneto, Italy, home of Prosecco wines. As
for the Ports, we had two vintage Ports from
Portugal, one as old as 1977 and the other from a
the more recent 1991 vintage. Then there were
two tawny Ports from the land down under. One
had been aged for a whopping fifty years in an
oak barrel making it the oldest wine of the
evening.
Todd and Megan decided to try the Port wines,
but not rate them since they were not their cup of
tea. I was proud of them for trying the Ports,
however, they did pan my Champagne, so I'm a
little bitter about that. (Just Kidding!) Just a
side note about all of the sparkling wines in our
tasting. They were all fantastic! Each very
different and you would buy them and serve them
with food in a very different way. The Prosecco
would be great with lighter foods and appetizer
style food. The NV Brut was a big burly
Champagne that would complement hearty foods
with rich sauces, even steak. The Vintage
Champagne would be a winner with seafood,
including sushi or lobster tail.
As I mentioned before, the Ports were all
different too, but the 1977 Colheita Vintage Port
truly stole the show.
Here are the results of our tasting:
be fun to re-visit a tasting we did our first year of
existence. A Champagne/Sparkling wine and Port
Tasting. Back then we had five sparklers and
only two Ports to taste. This time we had three
sparklers, two from Champagne, France and one
from Veneto, Italy, home of Prosecco wines. As
for the Ports, we had two vintage Ports from
Portugal, one as old as 1977 and the other from a
the more recent 1991 vintage. Then there were
two tawny Ports from the land down under. One
had been aged for a whopping fifty years in an
oak barrel making it the oldest wine of the
evening.
Todd and Megan decided to try the Port wines,
but not rate them since they were not their cup of
tea. I was proud of them for trying the Ports,
however, they did pan my Champagne, so I'm a
little bitter about that. (Just Kidding!) Just a
side note about all of the sparkling wines in our
tasting. They were all fantastic! Each very
different and you would buy them and serve them
with food in a very different way. The Prosecco
would be great with lighter foods and appetizer
style food. The NV Brut was a big burly
Champagne that would complement hearty foods
with rich sauces, even steak. The Vintage
Champagne would be a winner with seafood,
including sushi or lobster tail.
As I mentioned before, the Ports were all
different too, but the 1977 Colheita Vintage Port
truly stole the show.
Here are the results of our tasting:
| Moet et Chandon 1996 Mille'sime Blanc - Epernay - Champagne, France |
Notes – It smelled a bit like puppy breath
to me with an underlying citrus aroma.
Fortunately for us, this wonderful sparkler
with a greenish tint tasted much better
than it smelled. Loads of sour lemon
citrus that carries thru all the way to the
tongue-buzzing finish.
Comments – Bravo! Well done. I
remember that when I tasted the 1996
Dom Perignon (Same producer as this
wine) that I thought it smelled like Cat's
Pee, so I wasn't concerned about the
nose. Vintage Champagne can often be
like that. I do think this wine would be
better with a bit more bottle age, like five
years or so. Right now, it needs food to
tame the acidity.
to me with an underlying citrus aroma.
Fortunately for us, this wonderful sparkler
with a greenish tint tasted much better
than it smelled. Loads of sour lemon
citrus that carries thru all the way to the
tongue-buzzing finish.
Comments – Bravo! Well done. I
remember that when I tasted the 1996
Dom Perignon (Same producer as this
wine) that I thought it smelled like Cat's
Pee, so I wasn't concerned about the
nose. Vintage Champagne can often be
like that. I do think this wine would be
better with a bit more bottle age, like five
years or so. Right now, it needs food to
tame the acidity.
| Score - A- |
| Price - $50.00 |
| Val D'Oca Prosecco - Veneto, Italy |
Notes – Fresh toast and bisquits,
breakfast is served! On the palate, this
light sparkler dazzles with tropical fruits
like mango and has a creamy mouthfeel
that finishes a touch sweet.
Comments – It may be cold out right now
in Texas, but for a moment I thought it
was summer time again after tasting this
little dandy. I picture this with some
assorted fruits, a fantastic appetite
teaser. For the money, this is the best
deal of our tasting, but it serves a
completely different purpose than the
other two sparklers.
breakfast is served! On the palate, this
light sparkler dazzles with tropical fruits
like mango and has a creamy mouthfeel
that finishes a touch sweet.
Comments – It may be cold out right now
in Texas, but for a moment I thought it
was summer time again after tasting this
little dandy. I picture this with some
assorted fruits, a fantastic appetite
teaser. For the money, this is the best
deal of our tasting, but it serves a
completely different purpose than the
other two sparklers.
| Around - $12.00 |
| Piper Heidsieck NV Brut - Reims - Champagne, France |
Notes – A nose full of Italian Biscotti and
lemony citrus, this Champagne was full-
bodied with a huge, rich mouthfeel. Quite
a bit darker than the rest, it displayed
citrus and licorice notes with balanced
acidity, nice finish.
Comments – For the past couple of years,
Leslie and I have been buying this Piper
as kind of our house Champagne. Our go
to bottle when we were in the mood for
good Champagne or when company was
coming over. My feelings about this wine
were confirmed with the latest Wine
Spectator Magazine. They gave it a score
of 92. What do you know, I have good
taste after all!
lemony citrus, this Champagne was full-
bodied with a huge, rich mouthfeel. Quite
a bit darker than the rest, it displayed
citrus and licorice notes with balanced
acidity, nice finish.
Comments – For the past couple of years,
Leslie and I have been buying this Piper
as kind of our house Champagne. Our go
to bottle when we were in the mood for
good Champagne or when company was
coming over. My feelings about this wine
were confirmed with the latest Wine
Spectator Magazine. They gave it a score
of 92. What do you know, I have good
taste after all!
| Score - B+ |
| Around - $38.00 |
| Porto Rocha 1977 Colheita Vintage Port - Duero, Portugal |
Notes – Amber yellow, with caramel and
almonds a plenty, toasty, smooth and
distinctly mellow. My glass is empty, may
I have another?!
Comments – Yummy! I wish it wasn't a
half bottle. Delicious. Great nose, great
taste and just simply wonderful. Just
makes you appreciate those that can be
patient with their wines. Dandridge
announced to us all that this vintage was
his birth year and with that, Todd and I
reached for our One-A-Day Geritol
Vitamins!
almonds a plenty, toasty, smooth and
distinctly mellow. My glass is empty, may
I have another?!
Comments – Yummy! I wish it wasn't a
half bottle. Delicious. Great nose, great
taste and just simply wonderful. Just
makes you appreciate those that can be
patient with their wines. Dandridge
announced to us all that this vintage was
his birth year and with that, Todd and I
reached for our One-A-Day Geritol
Vitamins!
| Score - A- |
| About - $60.00 for Half Bottle |
| Quita do Vesuvio 1991 Vintage Port - Duero, Portugal |
Notes – More purple than all of the other
ports, it smelled like stewed plums. On
the palate, it was a little quirky with more
plums, blackberries, a touch of cinnamon
and a bit of pepper on the finish.
Comments – Although everyone else
seemed to like it, I was very
disappointed. (I brought this one, so I can
say that!) It almost tasted like it had been
a bit oxidized by a faulty cork and indeed
the cork did crumble when I opened it. As
it breathed in the decanter, it did get
better, but it still wasn't all that I was
hoping for.
ports, it smelled like stewed plums. On
the palate, it was a little quirky with more
plums, blackberries, a touch of cinnamon
and a bit of pepper on the finish.
Comments – Although everyone else
seemed to like it, I was very
disappointed. (I brought this one, so I can
say that!) It almost tasted like it had been
a bit oxidized by a faulty cork and indeed
the cork did crumble when I opened it. As
it breathed in the decanter, it did get
better, but it still wasn't all that I was
hoping for.
| Price - $35.00 |
| Yalumba Museum Reserve 50yr Tawny Port - Barossa Valley, Australia |
Notes – Yellow amber in color, with a rich
butterscotch nose and taste. The fruit is
long gone, but it still held on to it's sharp
acidity somehow.
Comments – If this wine was any older, it
would belong in a museum like the title
suggests. Okay, not for everyone I
suppose. This probably had more in
common with brandy than it did wine.
After sitting in a barrel and exposed to
oxygen for fifty years, you were bound to
lose all the fruit. Still I found it to be quite
interesting and I think it would be great
with a bowl of vanilla ice cream with
butterscotch topping no less!
butterscotch nose and taste. The fruit is
long gone, but it still held on to it's sharp
acidity somehow.
Comments – If this wine was any older, it
would belong in a museum like the title
suggests. Okay, not for everyone I
suppose. This probably had more in
common with brandy than it did wine.
After sitting in a barrel and exposed to
oxygen for fifty years, you were bound to
lose all the fruit. Still I found it to be quite
interesting and I think it would be great
with a bowl of vanilla ice cream with
butterscotch topping no less!
| Price - $49.00 |
| Seppelt Tawny Port - Trafford, Australia |
Notes – Orangish brown in color, a unique
nose that I can only describe as being a
cross between orange blossom and burnt
rubber. Very buttery on the palate with
stately caramel accents.
Comments – There was no indication on
the bottle as to how long this tawny was
aged, but my guess is that it was less than
ten years. Very ho-hum after the
competition we served up this evening.
nose that I can only describe as being a
cross between orange blossom and burnt
rubber. Very buttery on the palate with
stately caramel accents.
Comments – There was no indication on
the bottle as to how long this tawny was
aged, but my guess is that it was less than
ten years. Very ho-hum after the
competition we served up this evening.
| Score - B |
| Price - $10.00 |
| Score - B+ |
| Score - B+ |
| Score - B |