Vinfolio Blog

Friday was the second installment of our blind tasting series here at the Vinfolio offices. We sampled six different bottles of Chardonnay which were provided by the staff as examples of how this versatile variety can express itself. As is becoming our new format, a bottle of debatable provenance was also included to test the tasting abilities of our wine experts.

The procedure for this tasting was that although the bottles were hidden in numbered brown bags, the names of the wines were provided (listed in random order) on score sheets which we handed out. We asked the staff to match the correct wine name with the correct numbered bag and then provide feedback on whether or not they liked each bottle and if they had any additional comments (flaws, notes, etc.). After everyone had tasted all six wines, we tallied the results and revealed the bottles. Interestingly, the wines with the highest and lowest respective release prices (excluding the flawed bottle) received far and away the greatest number of “like” votes.

Wines tasted (listed in order of positive votes):

2005 Gagnard, Jean-Noel – Chassagne-Montrachet Les Caillerets 1er Cru (5 votes)

2008 The House of Independent Producers (Hedges Family Winery) – Chardonnay Columbia Valley (5 votes)

2004 Kumeu River – Chardonnay Mate’s Vineyard (New Zealand) (4 votes)

2008 Eric Kent – Chardonnay Russian River Valley (3 votes)

2008 Qupe – Chardonnay Santa Maria Valley (2 votes)

1996 Jadot, Louis – Puligny-Montrachet (0 votes) – This was the flawed bottle.

Two weeks ago the Vinfolio staff gathered together for a blind tasting of Pinot Noirs from around the world. The Friday afternoon tasting was conducted with staff members providing wines from their own private cellars with the goal being to highlight different vintages and regions. Along with a few “ringer” bottles from well-known producers and excellent vintages, there were a few test bottles thrown in as well, including a bottle which had been stored improperly and was known to be flawed (the labels were removed to protect the producer’s identity). Occasionally the staff will do this in order to self-check our abilities to identify flaws.

Of the 12 brown-bagged wines we tasted, several bottles were universally panned (including the flawed one), and a handful were lauded as being standouts. In particular, the 2000 Brick House – Pinot Noir Willamette Valley was enjoyed by many members of the staff. Most importantly however, we had a wonderful time as a group, trying wines we hadn’t had before and comparing tasting notes and opinions.

If you’ve had any of the wines we’ve tried, or have recently tasted wines from the same regions in the same vintages, we’re interested in hearing your thoughts. Please post your responses in the comment section of this post as we’re always looking for suggestions for new wines to try and we plan on conducting similar tastings on a regular basis moving forward.

1.    2000 Brick House – Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley, Oregon)
2.    2007 Becker Estate – Pinot Noir (Pfalz, Germany)
3.    2007 Coldstream Hills – Pinot Noir (Yarra Valley, Australia)
4.    1997 Unknown Producer - Nuits St Georges (Burgundy, France)
5.    2006 Woodenhead – Pinot Noir  (Russian River Valley, California)
6.    2005 Unknown Producer - Givry 1er Cru (Burgundy, France)
7.    2007 Seven of Hearts – Pinot Noir (Dundee Hills, Oregon)
8.    1999 Williams Selyem – Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley, California)
9.    2006 Magnien, Michel - Chambolle-Musigny Les Sentiers 1er Cru (Burgundy, France)
10.   2007 Papapietro Perry - Pinot Noir Charles Vineyard (Anderson Valley, California)
11.   Unnamed Flawed Bottle
12.   2005 Villaine, A et P de - Mercurey Les Montots (Burgundy, France)

Amy's notes: With all the excitement here around the launch of the new Vinfolio, our tasting notes from Saturday’s La Paulee were delayed a few days. I’ll admit I did a “power tasting” approach – marking wines I liked but not making detailed notes. Bottom line - I spent much more time on the whites than the reds, given their pretty aromatics and fruit. Overall standouts for me, here in their jumbled glory, included the whole lineup from Ramonet, especially the Batard Montrachet (too obvious?); Niellon Clos St Jean; Perrot-Minot Charmes Chambertin and especially the Combe d’Orveau; the Colin-Morey Meursault Perrieres (what a nose!); and Roumier’s Morey St Denis Bussiere and Chambolle Musigny Cras.  My only disappointment was with the Dujac 2007 reds. I found them a bit thin and weedy, and tight on the nose; perhaps I went in with elevated expectations or am prematurely judging, but I found more to like with other producers. Find of the day was the Allan Meadows recommendation Patrick Piuze Chablis lineup. A new negociant label from a talented young winemaker, these are classic Chablis with beautiful fruit to balance the mineral.  

Levi's Notes: Overall, I found the quality of the wines from last weekend to be high, with the scales tipping significantly towards the 2007 and 2008 whites. The reds where all solid, yet there were very few wines that I found truly mind-blowing. Of the Pinots that excited me, the unusually "white wine-esq" nose on the 2007 David Duband – Echezeaux was enthralling, evoking fresh passion fruit flowers. I was also captivated by the dark blackberry bramble and citrus spritz of the 2007 Domaine Dujac – Clos de la Roche which had interesting baking spice and pepper on the mid-palate, leading into a long creamy finish. For me, two of the stellar whites of the day had to be the 2007 Domaine Leflaive – Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles 1er Cru and the 2007 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey – Meursault Perrieres 1er Cru. The Leflaive was enticing, smelling of fresh cut button mushrooms and sand with skyscraper-like structure in the mouth, all supported by endlessly tight and driving acidity. I cannot reproduce much of my Colin-Morey tasting note here because it is laced with so many profane superlatives, suffice to say that just thinking about the epic nature of the sliced starfruit I found on both the nose and palate, along with the wine’s awesome acidity, is still making my mouth water a week later.

Today is the re-launch of Vinfolio as a customer-focused fine wine company.  We’re looking forward to getting back to the basics of sourcing, selling, and storing fine wine, while providing the highest level of customer service.  With a solid financial footing and a clear mission to listen to the needs of our customers, the future is bright for our business in the years ahead.

We the Vinfolio Team want to personally express our appreciation to our loyal customers who have encouraged and supported us through a very difficult time. We realize that the past few months have been extremely challenging for some customers, and understand that it is now our job to win back your loyalty by making your wine buying and selling experience the best it can be.  While we know there are still details to work out, we sincerely look forward to serving your future wine needs.

Read the press release!

La Paulee de San Francisco is fast approaching and, happily, we have our Grand Tasting tickets in hand! Created as an homage to the La Paulee de Meursault - a post-harvest celebration that brings together wine-growers, critics, and guests for 3 days of shared wine and food - the American version recreates the tradition each year in New York or San Francisco. This Saturday, March 13, we’ll be heading to this Burgundy extravaganza to sample the wines of top producers like Faiveley, Colin-Morey, and Dujac, in a line-up heavy on 2007s, along with a few ‘06s and ‘08s.  We’ll post our notes and impressions from the Grand Tasting and look forward to your comments as well.

Our VP of Sourcing and Sales, Ann Feely, will be representing Vinfolio at Saturday evening’s Gala Dinner, where guests pop the corks on trophy bottles tucked away for just such a “competitive” occasion. Live vicariously through her notes on the wines tasted, coming next week.

At the 2010 Tre Bicchieri tasting last week, Levi and I made sure not to miss a Tuscan rarity, the 100% Merlot Petrolo Galatrona. The 2006 version set the bar high, with 95- and 96-point ratings from The Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator, respectively. As 2006 was an extraordinary vintage for the region, this is not surprising. 2007 was a bit more challenging, but, according to Antonio Galloni’s vintage profile, the top producers came away with generous, approachable wines. In general, although they won’t have the long-term aging potential of the 2006s, they represent an excellent follow-up for more immediate enjoyment. Levi’s immediate impressions at the tasting really emphasize the wine’s youth. We look forward to trying it again upon release!

The 2010 Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri tasting, held last Wednesday, February 24th at Fort Mason in San Francisco, proved again why this is the don’t miss Italian wine event of the year. More than 100 of Italy’s finest producers were in attendance, pouring wines deemed worthy of “Three Glasses,” Gambero Rosso’s highest ranking. Representing the country’s many diverse regions, the featured wines offered the chance to taste side by side the 2005 and 2006 red vintages, and 2008 white vintage. Levi Hensel and I did the arduous work of sipping, tasting, and video blogging all afternoon, and bring you our overall impressions and favorites.

Vintage Impressions

2005 Amarone: Less extracted and lower alcohol than past vintages. Generally round mouthfeel without harsh tannin or excessive sweetness. Pleasant wines that will have wide appeal.

2005 Barolo: Great aromatics on the wines we tried. Floral, elegant and seductive; entirely different from the 2004s, whose concentration and strength were obvious from the start. On the palate, youthful tannins and higher acidities show promise for in-bottle development.

2006 Tuscany:  While some wines were a little closed or restrained, the quality here was obvious.  Great balance of concentrated fruit and structure, with remarkable persistence on the finish. 

Look for specific wine reviews and tasting videos coming later this week!