Susan Easom - Wine Tasting

© UnparalleledTaste LLC - 2010

We offer “Special Tasting Thanks” to Susan as our

hostess .

Cheers!

© UnparalleledTaste LLC - 2010

Gerry Whitson and Marisa Harrer are Unparalleled Taste. They are business partners who love life, good food, and great wine.  Both grew up elsewhere and now make their homes in Atlanta. Gerry is a reformed banker, who has worked as a wine educator for over 15 years and holds the Certified Specialist of Wine Designation from the Society of Wine Educators.  He's "that guy" at the restaurant who picks the perfect bottle of wine for you when you're not sure what to order.  In other words, he lives and breathes this stuff!  It's good to find your passion. Marisa is now a homemaker after having spent 20 years working corporate and private events.  She has an excellent understanding of how to make your event work for you.  She's "that gal" your friends always call to help plan a special occasion.  She is a passionate person who has also found a great passion in wine.

Color, Swirl, Smell, Taste, and Savor

These qualities in tasting are better known as the five S’s of wine:

● See● Swirl● Sniff● Sip● Savor

The “See”

The “See” - Look at the wine in your glass.

●Hue: Its color, -- purple, red, tawny, etc●Depth: How deep the wine appears, i.e. dark, medium or light●Clarity: The transparency of the wine

The “Swirl”

The “Swirl” - Swirl the wine.

●This liberates aromas and,●Helps the wine develop with exposure to oxygen.

The “Sniff”The “Sniff” - Now take a few

short sniffs of the wine.●Intensity: The amount of lift from the glass.●Concentration: Strength of aroma.●Expression: Distinctiveness of character.●Complexity: A diversity of harmonious smell sensations.●Cleanliness: Absence of winemaking faults.

The “Sip”The “Sip” ●Intensity: The amount of flavor activity in the mouth.●Concentration: The strength of flavor.●Body: The weight displayed in the mouth. An amalgam of viscosity, flavor concentration and (in reds) astringency.●Astringency: Drying, roughing and puckering sensations derived from tannins.●Other Texture: Includes alcoholic warmth, creaminess.

The “Sip” - Continued

●Complexity: Diversity of complementary textures and flavors. Measured by how long a wine holds your interest.●Balance: A wine is in balance when no one character dominates your psyche.●Structure: An amalgam of balance and timing of the appearance of sensory characters to produce a wine that is seamless.●Persistence: The overall time that a wine impacts on the senses after swallowing or spitting.

The “Savor” The “Savor”. ●Does it entice you to take another sip?●Persistence: The overall time that a wine impacts on the senses after swallowing or spitting.

Introduction to French Wines

Even though many other countries around the world are producing excellent wines, and even though some countries in Europe have winemaking traditions that go back as far in time as does France’s, no country can claim to produce world-class wines in so many categories.

Only 3 percent of all wine consumed in France is imported.

Introduction (continued)

In addition to producing great wines in every category, France is also the original home to most of the “noble varietals.”

Of the 12 most important noble varietals, 8 are indigenous to France:

Whites - Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc

Reds – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Syrah

Introduction (continued))Another French important initiative was in the

creation of a system of laws to control viticultural practices and winemaking. One of the goals of these laws is to protect the

geographic names of the places of origin of specific wines.

This is important as French wines are named for the region where the grapes were grown.

This geographic designation of origin is called the appellation of the wine.

TerriorThe concept of terroir is critical to understanding the

very foundation of French wines.

In the context of wines, the definition of terroir is the unique and distinctive character a specific wine will exhibit due to the fact that it was grown in a specific vineyard.

The term terroir encompasses the entire physical environment in which the grapes were grown.

What the French care about more than anything else in their wine is that it reflect the terroir of its region, that it be typical of that region, and that it be authentic.

Tasting SheetOur Easy Rating System:I love this wine! 5 pointsI really like this wine! 4 pointsThis wine is good! 3 pointsThis wine is not that good! 2 pointsI don’t really care for this wine! 1 point

Wine A____ ptsWine B____ ptsWine C____ ptsWine D____ ptsWine E____ ptsWine F____ pts

Look - Best wines are clear and brilliantSmell - Best wines have intense aromasTaste - Best wines have complex structure and flavorsSavor - Best wines have a flavorful aftertaste that lingers

Wine Regions of France

Bougrier Rosé d'Anjou Rosé d'Anjou is an appellation for rose wines from the Anjou district of France's western Loire Valley wine region.

Color: A very light pink.Nose and Palate: This crisp, strawberry, light-bodied refreshing blush hails from France's best terroir for fresh wines, the Loire Valley. Filled with fresh berry and fruit notes, this is ideal for warm days on the patio, as well as elegant poultry dishes. A very berry mouth yet not sweet it’s dry but not bone dry. Alcohol: 8.5% ABVAppellation: Loire Valley, France

One of the best rosé of all the rosés I've tried lately.

Chateau L'Ermitage Costieres de Nimes Blanc Costieres de Nimes is the most southerly appellation of the

Rhone wine region, and are reputed to be among the oldest known wines in the world. This wine is a blend Roussanne, Grenache Blanc and Viognier blend

Color: Straw yellow in color with golden tints.Nose and Palate: The harmony of the blending in this medium-bodied wine brings aromas of fresh white fruits: peaches, pears, litchis and white flowers. This crisp wine exhibits generous fruit flavor, a full developed mouthfeel and a clean finish. Soft and simple, easy drinking, this is an excellent 5PM thirst quencher. By no means sweet, it still leaves that impression on the palate. Not particularly acidic, you can tell there is 20% Viognier.  Alcohol: 13% Appellation: Costieres de Nimes, Rhone, France

This wine is a very enjoyable summer bottle a great pool wine.

Domaine de la Presidente - Cotes du RhoneThe Domaine de la Présidente is an exceptional vineyard

dating back to the 18th century. This is an excellent example of what Chateauneuf is all about. 70% Grenache, 15% Cinsault, 10% .

Color: Rich garnet. Dark to the rim.Nose and Palate: The wine Spectator said "An elegant Cotes du Rhone Grands Classiques. Juicy, with cherry, raspberry and blackberry fruit woven with spice and graphite notes, and a wonderful length to the finish.“ I say arresting nose of sweet spice, with a long warm blackberry and warm, spicy palate, smooth tannins and a savory palate with a little kirsch to round it all off. Alcohol: 14.5%

Appellation: Cotes du Rhone, France

I like this wine. My recommendation would be to buy it and put it in your cellar.

Chateau De Cornemps - Bordeaux

This wine is a pleasure it’s classic, friendly, easy to drink, and can accompany the complete meal.

Color: Rich red. Dark to the rim.Nose and Palate: Flavors of black currants with cedar notes precede a supple finish in this Merlot-based wine produced by the Fagard family. Harmonious, well-balanced, with a mix of power and length to flexibility and curvature in mouth.

 Alcohol: 13.5% Appellation: Lussac-Saint-Emilion, France

This easy-drinking wine makes a good everyday dinner choice and pairs well with steak or blue cheese.

Chateau Bel Air l'Esperance - Bordeaux

This wine harkens back to some of the ‘petite chateaux’ Bordeaux of the 1980s, available at great prices and so drinkable you wanted to buy them by the case. Color: Ruby rich red. Nose and Palate: It has bright black cherry fruit on the nose and palate and is soft, mouthwatering, and oh-so-easy to drink. Surprisingly fruity, with ripe berry flavors but well within the cassis-currant frame of Bordeaux. The wine is light to medium bodied and carries some hefty tannins at the finish (this should moderate as the wine ages (or just use your aerator). There’s a subtle stony, grainy minerality underneath. Alcohol: 13% ABV. It’s nice to find a Bordeaux wine with such modest alcohols and such big flavors.Appellation: The property is in the Cotes de Bourg (Bordeaux)

Chateau Bel Air l’Esperance is one of quite a few of the “new breed” (or maybe they’re the old breed coming back?) of the modestly priced, easily drinkable, nicely structured Bordeaux. ? The 13% alcohol by volume listed makes it a good dinner companion.