Project 2016 1 What is the National Tasting Project? The largest - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

National Tasting Project 2016 1

What is the National Tasting Project? • The largest group tasting of its kind. More than 140 chapters and 5000+ members across the United States. Most of them will taste and rate the same wines this year! • Each year the NTP committee chooses a theme and selects several wines that show different styles within a theme. Chapters hold tastings to sample the wines and then see how their ratings compare to other AWS chapters. 2

The Rhone Rangers Advancing the knowledge and enjoyment of Rhone wines produced in America. Members can be: • Grower • Winery • Associate • Consumer (sidekick) 3

• American Rhone-style wines are made from the same grapes that have flourished for centuries in France’s Rhone River Valley. • For a wine to qualify as a “Rhone Rangers” wine, the winery must be a member of the organization and 75% of the wine’s content must include one or more of the twenty-two traditional Rhone grape varieties as approved by the French government for the wines of the Cotes du Rhone (including Petite Sirah/Durif). 4

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Wine #1: This wine is: 100% Marsanne 2014 Vintage Wine #2: This wine is a blend of: 61% Roussanne 30% Marsanne 9% Viognier 2013 Vintage 10

Wine #3: This wine is a blend of: 40% Counoise 36% Mourvèdre 24% Grenache 2013 Vintage Wine #4: This wine is: 100% Syrah 2011 Vintage 11

Wine #5 : This wine is a blend of: 37% Mourvèdre 34% Grenache 20% Syrah 9% Cinsault 2011 Vintage Wine #6: This wine is a blend of: 60% Grenache 40% Syrah 2012 Vintage 12

Wine #7 : This wine is a blend of: 76% Grenache 14% Syrah 10% Mourvèdre 2013 Vintage Wine #8 : This wine is a blend of: 62% Petite Sirah 19% Grenache 13% Syrah 6% Zinfandel 2012 Vintage 13

And the Wines Are? 14

WINE # 1 $26 + shipping Cass 2014 Marsanne, Paso Robles Vintage 2014 was a relatively uneventful growing season. Tasting Notes Essences of golden delicious apple, spiced nectarine, and Linden flower. Notes of clove honey and crushed lime blossom provide the foundation of a full yet refreshing palate. Hints of Asian pear and honeydew melon underscored with a soft minerality nuances of kiwi, fresh lime zest and raw cashew paste. Winemaking Fermented and aged in 100% stainless steel. Following juice settling, a long, cold fermentation took place. Malolactic fermentation was inhibited to preserve acidity, keeping the wine fresh and crisp. • Vintage: 2014 • Varietal: White Rhone Blend • Appellation: Paso Robles • Alcohol %: 15.1 15

WINE # 2 $32 + shipping Cass 2014 Rocking One, Paso Robles Tasting Notes Hints of Asian pear preserves, melon meringue, candied quince and hawthorn blossom. butter cream, Meyer lemon custard and white peach Soft acidity and stony minerality Winemaking Fermented and aged in seasoned oak barrels. The long, slow fermentation helped maintain crucial aromatics, while occasional lees stirring helped lend texture and structure to the wine. Partial malolactic fermentation. Vineyard Notes The Cass Estate Vineyard, located southeast of the town of Paso Robles. • Vintage: 2014 • Varietal: White Rhone Blend • Appellation: Paso Robles • 16 Alcohol %: 15

WINE # 3 $40 + shipping Kukkula 2012 Aatto, Paso Robles Aatto is Finnish for, “eve” as in Christmas Eve. It was Dad’s name because he was born on Christmas Eve. Aatto is the winery’s most unusual, exotic wine, both aromatically and in the flavor profile. Counoise has the lead in percentage. Counoise and Mourvèdre aged half in new and half in once-used French Oak puncheons (130 gal) until blending in June 2013. No fining or filtering. • Vintage: 2013 • Varietals: 40% Counoise, 36% Mourvèdre, 24% Grenache • Appelation: Paso Robles • Alcohol: 14.5, • Acid: pH 3.65, TA .59 17

WINE # 4 $64 + shipping 2011 PAX Syrah, Castelli-Knight Ranch, Russian River Valley Vintage 2011 was a cool vintage producing wines that were savory almost subtle. Tasting Notes Peppery, intense, vibrant and complex. a super impressive Syrah. Black pepper, olives – black green & cured black berry aromas that you can smell 3 feet away. The palate is dense and muscular with loads of spicy black fruit, more savory than fruit driven, fascinating Winemaking Organically farmed. 100% Whole Cluster Fermented aged for 18 months in French oak barrels, 50% new 50% used. • Vintage: 2013 • Varietals: 100% Syrah • Appellation: Russian River V alley • Alcohol: 14.5% • Acid: pH 3.65, TA .59 18

WINE # 5 $45+ shipping Bonny Doon 2011 Le Cigare Volante, Central Coast Vintage 2011 was a cool and elegant vintage Tasting Notes Dark mulberry color, loamy earth, raspberries, plum cherry/chocolate Lively acidity, soft tannins, meaty peppery Winemaking Source grapes from cooler areas. Cold soak for 5-10 days. Destem 75% and whole cluster ferment 25%, slow fermentations typically 30 days, micro-oxygenate wine during ageing, use 130 gal and 2,500 gal wood casks, malo lactic fermentation Vintage: 2011 Varietal: 37% Mourvedre, 34% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 9% Cinsault Appellation: Central Coast Alcohol: 14.2% 19 Acid: T.A. 0.58% pH 3.34

WINE # 6 $45 + shipping Kukkula 2012 Pas de Deux French for, "a dance for two, a close relationship between two people or things” Because this is a blend of Grenache and Syrah, and they seem to “dance” beautifully together ,. Vintage: A very warm and dry year producing concentrated fruit & high extract. Tasting Notes: Ripe red berries, musky flowers, hint of smokiness, raspberry and bitter cherry. Spiceness in finish. Winemaking: About 50/50 new/used French Oak. Syrah aged in 60 gal. and Grenache in 133 gal. barrels 9 months until blending. Then additional aging in 60 gal barrels for 9 months. Racked only at time of blending. No fining or filtering. • Vintage: 2012 • Varietals: 60% Grenache, 40% Syrah • Appellation: Paso Robles • Alcohol: 15.3% • 20 Acid: , TA 0.58% pH 3.9

WINE # 7 $40 + shipping Summer Wood 2013 GSM, Paso Robles Vintage: dry year, small crop, no heat spikes Tasting Notes: red fruit, savory undertones and spice on the finish. Subtle hint of cedar. The Syrah adds structure to the wine while the Mourvèdre adds the spice. A medium body wine with soft tannins and a lingering finish. Winemaking: High density plantings, minimum irrigation, and reduced crop loads give low yields of intense flavor. • Vintage: 2013 • Varietals: 76% Grenache, 14% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre • Appellation: Paso Robles • Alcohol: 15.5% • Acid: TA 0.7 % pH: 3.5 21

WINE # 8 $52 + shipping Guyomar 2012 Monsignor , Paso Robles Vintage Cool spring warm summer hot fall. Small crop high fruit. Vineyards are located south west side of Paso Robles in the Templeton Gap. Afternoon ocean breezes cool the vines and bring rain to the western side of Paso. Tasting Notes berry, allspice, rose petals, ripe heirloom tomatoes, blood orange zest, fresh sawdust hints of juniper berries, sage, anise, and cassis. Winemaking Aim for restrained fruit • Vintage: 2012 • Varietals: 62% Petit Syrah, 19% Grenache, 13% Syrah, 6% Zinfandel • Appellation: Paso Robles • Alcohol: 14.7% • Acid: 22

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