“So if I asked you about art, you’d probably give me the skinny on every art book ever written. Michelangelo, you know a lot about him. Life’s work, political aspirations, him and the Pope, sexual orientations, the whole works, right? But I’ll bet you can’t tell me what it smells like in the Sistine Chapel. You’ve never actually stood there and looked up at that beautiful ceiling.”
-Robin Williams to Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting
I read a lot about wine – I mean, a lot. But learning about wine only by reading books reminds me of Robin Williams’s beautiful lakeside soliloquy in which he implores (a young) Matt Damon to go out and actually experience the world. And so it goes with wine – one of the best (and definitely most fun) ways to learn about wine is to taste it. However, this is a little different from drinking wine . . .
To me, tasting wine means that I’m taking the time to actually evaluate it and assess all of its unique characteristics. On the other hand, drinking wine means I’m just kicking back and enjoying it. The differences between the two are actually quite stark. And while I do a good degree of both, when I’m really trying to expand my wine knowledge I sit down with my trusty tasting notebook and put pen to paper to capture my thoughts.
Since I’ve been on the WSET path for the past year or so, my tasting notes generally follow their prescribed format – which I freely admit falls on the clinical side of evaluation. And while I completely agree with their premise that consistent and objective tasting notes are ideal for learning about wine, I’m never going to truly remember a wine based on notes like “medium+ acidity” or “clear, pale lemon.” For that reason I also like to add my own thoughts on the wine . . . where was I, what did it remind me of, what was I eating with it, etc.
When doing tastings at home, I often enlist Hubs to be my personal wine steward and set me up with a blind tasting. This way, I don’t have any preconceived notions about what I’m tasting and can just do some “mindful drinking” of what’s in the glass in front of me. Ideally, I taste a couple of wines side by side because it’s much easier for me to pick up differences (or similarities) when comparing wines as opposed to just tasting one wine in a vacuum. As an added bonus, I then have the benefit of having TWO bottles to choose from after I’m done with my tasting. 🙂 I should also add that while my tasting “goal” is not necessarily to accurately identify each of the wines tasted blindly, the truth is I always smile when I do get them right (I imagine that’s the same for everyone!).
Recently I did such a tasting with two distinct Pinot Noirs (Old World vs. New World) when deciding which would pair best with my mom-in-law’s delicious Coq a Vin that she was preparing for a family dinner. Sitting in my in-laws sunny, lush Southern California backyard I was joined by my father-in-law, “T-Bone”, for the tasting. Yes, my 75 year-old father-in-law’s nickname is “T-Bone”…and yes, he’s as awesome and quirky as you might imagine (he once informed me that he stopped drinking Merlot because it is “too purple”).
Domaine Gille 2012 Nuits Saint Georges 1er Cru ‘Les Cailles’, Bourgogne. (13% abv)
- Color: Pale ruby, tending towards garnet
- Aromas: Roses that are just starting to wilt, cranberries, earthy cherries, fall leaves
- Palate: Medium- body, medium+ acidity, medium- tannins. Additional flavors of tea, spice and an almost cedar-like note.
- My Thoughts: Very delicate wine – honestly, borderline too thin right now. I’m sure I opened this too early and it would’ve benefited from at least a few more years of age. I guessed this was the Burgundy due to the color and dominate flavors of earth & spice with the fruit taking a backseat. I liked this wine, but probably would’ve loved it in a few years. And interestingly, out of the two Pinots, this was T-Bone’s favorite! (Sidenote: One of my 2018 goals is to introduce my in-laws to new wines since they gravitate almost exclusively towards California Cabernets and Chardonnays).
- Technical Bits: Domaine Gille has been passed down from generation to generation since the 1500s. Their vines currently range from 45-80 years of age. Soil is stony limestone. All grapes are hand harvested. Natural fermentation. Aged for 18 months in oak (1/3 new).
Hanzell 2014 ‘Sebella’ Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, California. (13.7% abv)
- Color: Pale ruby, bright
- Aromas: Fresh flowers, slightly sweet fruits – raspberries, red plum, hints of Dr. Pepper
- Palate: Medium bodied, medium+ acidity, medium (close to medium+) tannins. I’m picking up sweet cherries and some black pepper here too.
- My Thoughts: This wine was brighter and more ruby colored, possibly indicating a younger wine. A definite sweetness here that the other wine didn’t have. With all the fresh, ripe fruit oozing out of the glass, I was confident this was the California Pinot. And while I don’t usually go for wines with this degree of sweet fruit, this wine just smelled yummy . . . tasted it too.
- Technical Bits: Hanzell Vineyards was founded in 1957 by James D. Zellerbach after he’d spent extensive time in Burgundy. Focus is on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Aged for 10 months in French oak (25% new).
The end result was that we drank both bottles with dinner so the pairing turned out to not be of much consequence – both were delicious! And, I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by my enjoyment of the Sonoma Pinot and T-Bone’s of the Burgundy. 🙂
Outwines 