Hi everyone,
To see what wines we have tried so far you can check out my blog posts on the first (unofficial meet) along with our second, third, fourth and fifth meets (official meets). Back in September I caught up with some fellow Perth wine lovers and bloggers for the third official Wine Century Challenge Meet. For those interested in my progress of the Wine Century Challenge I am keeping track of my progress on this page. This sixth meet-up was held at the Bad Apples in Applecross. The Tasting was organised by Stacey from Untapped Fine Wines and comprised of a selection of wines from her portfolio. Notes for the wines are under the categories of eye (E), nose (N) and palate (P) as usual for these tastings. All the noted prices for this tasting are the online prices for Untapped Fine Wines.
Before beginning the tasting I popped into Bad Apples a little early as I had spent the entire day writing assignments and had not had the chance to have lunch. A bad idea when I had a night of wine drinking ahead of me so I used the opportunity to try out their chicken skewers and sliders. I really liked the sliders and the chicken skewers in comparison did nothing to blow my socks off. My only gripe with the sliders is that it was $16 for the two of them, this places them in the ‘treats’ category unfortunately.
WHITES
Ossain Quintauna, Verdejo, 2011, Spain (RRP $28)
E: pale, bright lemon yellow.
N: lemon, straw, slightly nutty, melon – a classic verdelho.
P: melon, lemon, peach, slight spritz, unoaked, and possibly a higher alcoholic content from the mouth feel of the wine.
Juan Carlos Sacha ‘Ad Libitum’, Tempranillo Blanco, 2010, Spain. (RRP $48)
E: pale, bright, yellow lemon.
N: honey, nutty, with a possible floral nose.
P: dry, crisp, clean, and mineral.
This is the first production of this mutation which was performed at this vineyard also. An interesting varietal to have tried but one which would have done significantly better if paired with food and still needs some time for the winemaker to find the best winemaking technique to use with this varietal.
Pazo San Mauro, Albarino, 2010, Spain. (RRP $43)
E: pale yellow.
N: sweetness, honey and melon – wow nose!
P: crisp, dry, hint of sweetness and possibly a hint of oak also.
Sant Josep Llagrimes de Tardor, Garnacha Blanc, 2009, Spain. (RRP $38)
E: pale yellow.
N: lots of honey.
P: dry with a slight honey taste.
El Porvenir Laborum, Torrontes, 2012, Argentina. (RRP $35)
E: clear and bright wine.
N: spicy, tangy, and pear.
P: very dry, good overall finish and mouth feel.
REDS
Catherine & Pierra Breton Chinon, Cabernet Franc, 2010, France. (RRP ~$35)
E: deep plum.
N:mint.
P:silky tannins, oak, and there was some alcoholic heat at the back of the palate.
Neo Tercer Motivo Bierzo, Mencia, 2008, Spain. (RRP $26)
E: deep plum.
N:spice and mint.
P:spicy and warm mouth feel.
Aquitania Reserva, Carmenere, 2011, Chile. (RRP $25)
E: deep ruby red.
N: oak and musty – reminded me of a homestead.
P: warm with a hint of spice.
This wine was a favourite of mine on the night.
Mi Terruno Reserva, Bonarda, 2010, Argentina. (RRP $30)
E: deep plum/brick red.
N: tobacco with a hint of mint.
P: dry and lots of tannins.
Juan Carlos Sanch ‘A Libitum’, Maturana Tina, 2010, Spain. (RRP $48)
E: deep plum.
N: this was described as smelling like “sweaty gym socks” by another person on the night and I think it summed it up quite well.
P: not great, short, and mellow.
from discussions with Stacy it seems like this wine’s faults were more due to the wine maker than the grapes. This is a varietal which few wineries are making and therefore those who are making it are in the process of ‘rediscovering’ this varietal.
Mendel ‘Lunta’, Malbec, 2011, Argentina. (RRP $33)
E: deep plum.
N: warm and hearty.
P: smooth, dry, lots of berries, with a spicy palate that developed towards the end.
This one was a definite favourite at the end of the tasting table I was at. I quite enjoyed it, it was definitely one of my top 3 picks but not the favourite of the night.
Vivanco Collection Parcelas, Graciano, 2007, Spain. (RRP ~$170)
E: deep violet.
N: spice, plum, cherry and aniseed.
P: warm, smooth, with a very good mouth feel.
I loved this wine! It had so many layers to it and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Then we had the RRP’s given to us and I’d have to say that while I adored this wine on a value-for-money choice I would say the Carmenere was my second favourite and at a comparative RRP of $25 it is the clear winner.
During the later half of the tasting we had a selection of pizzas and chips brought out to us. I only managed a snap of the chips as the pizzas were devoured as soon as they were placed on the table, and I was one of those diving in for a slice or two. Really well presented and tasty pizzas and the chips were as good as last time.
GourmetVicariously 