Chairman: Gary Plisco
939-2483, gnsplisco@astound.,net
The time has come to find a new chairman for this activity. Unfortunately, I have not found one. Also difficult to get new members to join our activity (too many glasses to bring, cost, having to host & purchase wines, ??). So, after 6-7 years as chairman I’m reluctantly ending the WT activity. This will be my last WT article. My wife and I will stay active in 2 other WT groups-one for more than 20 years-plus there are the other Branch 8 tasting activities calling.
For the last time, I will tell you about 2 other wine tastings we have recently attended. At one we tasted 4 Pinot Noir from Oregon ranging in price from $19-42. We tasted and compared these to 4 from CA ranging in price from $22-36. The 4 CA wines rated highest (1-4) with one of these high above all the others. It was a 2011 Meiomi Bei Bel Glos ($22, 13.9% alc, Bev Mo-all others from wine.com) from the coastal area of central CA. It was rated 92 by Wine Spectator. Of 14 tasters, 8 rated it #1 and 3 #2 and the rest #3. It was outstanding and definitely significantly better than ALL the others. #2 was the 2010 Landmark Grand Detour ($30, 14.3%) with 1 first, 2-2nds. Just 1 point lower was the 2011 Robert Stemmler ($26, 13.8%) with 3 firsts, 4-2nds but it had 1 last and several lower ratings. The OR wines did not fair well. The most expensive at $42 was the 2010 Dobbes Family Estate-Patricia’s Cuvee with no 1sts or 2nds and no lasts but lots of 5+ ratings. One of the OR wines was terrible-2010 A to Z ($19) with 9 lasts. So much for the OR Pinots!
The other tasting was 8 wines from So. Africa (4 Chenin Blanc, 2 Sauvignon Blanc, 2 Chard) ranging in price from $8-30. All were purchased from K&L Wines in SF and rated 89-92 by Wine Spectator.. Tasters rated the 2 Chards 6&7, 2-SV’s 2&8 and CB’s 1, 3, 4, 5. #1 wine was the CB-2012 Rasford Dale Renaissance ($30, 12.5% alc) with 4-1sts and 1 last. #2 was the 2012 Rustenberg, Western Cape ($13, 14%) with 2-1sts, 4-2nds, 1 last. #3 was the 2011 Vinum Africa, Hope of Good Cape ($16, 13 %) with 2 -1sts. Message here is to forget the SA Chard (one of these was $30).
Well its been fun! Enjoy your wine!!
Gary Plisco, Chairman, 939-2483, gnsplisco@astound.net
Bill Barnard, Assistant Chairman, 939-8927, nbbarnard@astound.net
12/19/2013 updated (finally)
