Stolen Identity
Journey's End Vineyards (Gabb Family Wine Estate)
Identity Shiraz 2021
Really nice Shiraz, great price and amazing taste — 2 years ago
Wendouree
Clare Valley Cabernet Malbec 1994
Amazingly a deep dark ruby for its age. Trademark aromas of camphor/menthol. Fine sandy persistent tannins. A full bodied old fashioned Australian Red still going strong at 25 years of age and still with a future. Still fresh, strong and vibrant. Last of a Dozen. Much of the early plummy notes have morphed into something more savoury but the camphor notes remain and compliment the overall result and identity of the wine. — 5 years ago
Château Cantebau
Labastide Dauzac Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 2014
My gut feeling on the identity of this blind was a young Brunello or Rosso with new oak. In hindsight, if I had been a little more methodical, the identity would have been obvious - the stickiness of the tannins as it hits the palate on the tongue was a dead giveaway of the Merlot (49%) component, while the directionality of the tannins as it moved across the palate along the gums (on the base of teeth) can clearly be attributed to Cabernet Sauvignon (51%). Flavours again tripped me. The Morello cherry aroma, sheen of volatile acidity, fresher fruit ripeness, elegant medium body, and tart acidity just never put me onto Bordeaux… but of course it was a Margaux.
This was a really elegant example of Bordeaux, but does come off a little simple - just juicy fruits (red on the nose, black on the palate) and new oak, which leaves you yearning for more complexity to fill the “void” between the flavours. It is perhaps still a little young at this stage (my notes came after 3 hours of aeration; started off real tight according to RL), so could offer more with cellaring. Notably, I enjoyed this without much palate fatigue, although the new oak still irks me. A huge victory for young Bordeaux in my books. — 2 years ago
Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga
Fontalloro Toscana Sangiovese 2006
Huge identity
Supertuscan from Castelnuovo Berardenga made with only sangiovese
Earthy, irony, floral
Depth and softness
At peak I'd say
2006 is a spectacular vintage a bit everywhere in Italy — 5 years ago
Azienda Agricola Brovia
Rocche Barolo Nebbiolo 2007
I had a few members of the Tasting Group crew join me in a sort of, "help me drink down my cellar" gathering. Everyone had an opportunity to dig through the cellar and select a bottle of their choosing; the identity of the wine was kept from everyone else and then presented double-blind though, since the bottles were being pulled from my cellar, it wasn't a true double-blind situation for me. This was poured into a decanter and served within an hour of opening. The wine poured a deep garnet color with a slightly brownish orange rim, a deep translucent core and there appeared to be a good amount of fine sediment though, my glass was amongst the last poured. On the nose, I was immediately transported to Piemonte with gorgeous notes of funky cherries, tar, earth, roses, dried herbs and espresso. On the palate, the wine was bone dry with huge tannins and fantastic acid which was confirming my suspicions that this was Nebbiolo...and there was tremendous power here which had me thinking Barolo from a warmer year. Something like 2015 or 2012...but this seemed too developed to be a 2015 and the color was a little more advanced than I would expect for 2012 at this stage, so I figured either 2010 or maybe 2007. The fruit, while prodigious, was beginning to show some dried qualities and there was some leather, cocoa a bit of an umami too which I really liked. There was awesome. I called 2007 Brovia "Rocche". Even with knowledge of my cellar, I got fist bumps all around. Others at the table thought it presented younger than it was. I expect this will continue to drink very well for another 10+ years. — 2 years ago
Francois Gaunoux
Les Grands Épenots Pommard 1er Cru Pinot Noir 2011
Green and full of funk. This bottle, while still recognizable as burgundy, never took flight or held an identity. — 4 years ago
Bodega Luigi Bosca
Gala 4 Cabernet Franc Malbec
Great, elegant cab franc. Not as strong varietal identity as other modern Argentine francs - the graphite taste is more subtle. Dry, elegant, fairly tannic, red fruit. Excellent wine. — 5 years ago
Devin Brown
The description: The sweetly frivolous and fruity side of Central Otago Pinot Noir is bound up in this bottle of Stolen Kiss Rosé; once unleashed into your glass its candy-floss and crème-brûlée aromas shall sashay into a flirtatious toffee-apple and simmering strawberry palate smeared with cherry lip-gloss; most fun to drink chilled on sultry summer afternoons and evenings.
The opinion: Accurate and very good. Stolen Kiss is somewhat variable but 2022 and 2023 is very good. Summer afternoon with a well chilled bottle, can’t go wrong. — 6 months ago