Our first official wine tasting was a great event, with 6 tasters and 8 bottles to try. Thanks to everyone for coming!
We set up the tasting as a blind taste-test, alternating reds and whites, comparing reviews of the wines to to what smells and tastes the group picked up. This first tasting we wanted to hit most of the international grapes (varietals), so we picked typical examples of each and kept the price at about $15 per bottle.
Here's my rankings based on the crowd reaction (with my opinion the tie -breaker) with a brief summary. I'll put up a detailed post for each bottle you can review for future reference:
1. Australian Chardonnay - soft, subtle, well-rounded and incredibly good.
2. Alsace (France) Gewurtzstraminer - soft, aromatic, very drinkable with lychee flavor.
3. Bordeaux (France) Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot Blend - medium body, subtle and well-balanced.
4. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc - fresh tasting, and tart with green apple flavor.
5. California Pinot Noir - smoky and leathery.
6. Chilean Merlot - Very full flavored: earth and leather.
7. Italian Pinot Grigio - neutral flavors and very drinkable.
8. Australian Shiraz - Heavy, spicy with chocolate/coffee flavors.
The Whites seemed to be the crowd favorites with the most 'wow's coming from the Gewurtz and the Chardonnay, which were both amazing.
As for the reds, none were mellow, and had very similar texture. The Shiraz stood out the most because it was even more intense than the rest. The Bordeaux was the most accessible, but the Pinot Noir was the only bottle that the tasters hit up for seconds.
**Moderator's Note: Everyone left their bottles behind so I spent the next week trying them out a second (...third, fourth, fifth) time. All of them kept very well, and I really came around on the reds. During the tasting I found them all very heavy and dark, but they seemed to mellow after sitting out a few days. On the second go-around I'd put the Bordeaux and Merlot at the top of the list, along with the Gewurtzstraminer. Strangely enough the best wine of the tasting, the Chardonnay, kept the worst (although still very good).
