Montauk Club Wine Class Experiences White-out in September

Despite the white-out at our September 17 wine tasting, the only ones who were chilled were the wines. Our all white tasting last month we tasted a Flying Fish 2007 Washington State Riesling (12% alcohol), a 2006 Geil Rheinhessen Riesling Spätlese (8% alcohol), a 2007 Domaine de la Perrière Sancerre (12.5% alcohol) and a 2007 Robert Mondavi Fumé Blanc (14.5% alcohol). Our mission was to distinguish the dry and sweet Rieslings and the crisp and not-so-crisp sauvignon blancs. How did we fare? Well the Rieslings were pretty easy, but not so the sauvignon blancs. Here's what we thought.

Our first Riesling had a peachy darkness to it compared to the second. It appeared a bit sticky as the legs didn't even really descend down the glass. Its aroma was a bit confounding as we picked up both jammy and chemical smells like paint or turpentine. When we got to the tasting part, however, it was a different story. We found canned peaches galore and could not really taste the alcohol that we smelled. It could have been a juice rather than a wine, although it coated our tongues quite a bit. For one of our tasters, it gave an overall feeling of going on a hay ride and bobbing for apples.

The second Riesling was a tad lighter in color and showed its legs. The smell was much more pleasant with subtle floral notes like a rose garden. It seemed to throw off a greater alcohol scent as well. Unlike the first Riesling, this one's taste was closer to its smell. While we picked up on the typical peach and apricot flavor of Rieslings here, we also sensed some grapefruit overtones, perhaps from the seemingly higher alcohol content that came through in the taste. We all thought this Riesling might pair better with food, while the first was more of a stand-alone drink. Based on the taste, we unanimously, and correctly chose the first as the sweet German Spätlese and the second as the drier Washington State Riesling.

When we moved on to the sauvignon blancs, we had a lot more trouble telling the more acidic, or crisper, Sancerre from the less crisp fumé blanc. The first one we tasted had a paler color and appeared less viscous. We thought the smell was thinner but fruitier with tinges of cumquats, unripe peaches and stewed tomatoes (they are fruits after all). When we got to the taste we found sour apple and lime flavors, as well as the stewed tomatoes again. We thought we picked up a hint of bitterness too and could definitely taste the alcohol.

The second sauvignon blanc had a little more color to it and a richer aroma. Some thought of pickles when smelling it while others picked up mineral aromas and tar. We thought we tasted even more alcohol along with green apples mixed with pine needles. Some found this one more tangy than the first, but the mineral tones made it seem less crisp and led us to believe this was the fumé blanc. Well 75% of us were wrong. The first was the supposedly less crisp fumé blanc, and the second was the crisper Sancerre. So we simply decided in the end that Robert Mondavi is doing a wonderful job of producing a wine that is very close to its French ancestor.

Interestingly, the clear favorite of the four wines we tried was the Washington State Riesling. Good thing we had an extra bottle on hand!

At our next class on October 15 (as early as a third Thursday can get), we'll explore a couple more basic concepts -- oakiness and tannic. This time there will be something for both white wine and red wine lovers. First we'll compare 2008 Drouhin Laforet Bourgogne Chardonnay (13% alcohol) that should have no oak flavor with an oaky 2006 Beringer Napa Valley Chardonnay (14.1% alcohol). Then we'll see whether we can distinguish a low tannin 2006 Clos du Bois North Coast Pinot Noir (13.5% alcohol) from a high tannin 2005 Franciscan Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (13.5% alcohol). It wouldn't hurt to practice a bit ahead of time. Otherwise, you can just review pages 25 through 32 and 46 through 47 of Andrea Immer Robinson’s book Great Wines Made Simple.

So I'll see you all for our next class on October 15 around sevenish!! And don’t forget to look up past tasting notes on montaukwineclub.blogspot.com and on the Club’s revamped website.

Suzy Marquard