W&CN's First Attempt At Tasting Notes

Maybe they're not pros, but they try like hell.

Last night, the Wine & Cigar Night crew decided to actually taste the wine, while I took notes on everyone's opinions.



Disclaimer: While we do drink a lot of wine, none of us really know what the hell we are talking about. Collectively, the extent of our wine knowledge is limited to our experiences at bars, liquor stores, W&CN, and the occasional trip to a vineyard. None of us are claiming to be a sommelier, in fact, most of us cannot even pronounce that word correctly. 

It looks as stupid as it feels.

In preparation for this event, I read this article. I found it to be very helpful, but it also made me realize that there was no way we were going to put that much effort into describing colors, smells, and tastes. So, to keep things simple, I turned to my iPhone. I downloaded a free app called Wine Notes and decided to give it a shot. The app is easy to use and is a nice place to store information, such as the producer, varietal, vintage, etc. You can also add a photo, your location, notes, and scan the bar code. As part of the details of your wine notes, the app includes a scale that rates sweetness, acidity, tannins, and body from 0-5 (none, minimal, moderate, medium, or most), and a list of common flavors you can select as you are tasting. While the list of flavors is handy, I found it to be very limited. It also includes an overall rating system, which ranges from 0-10. In general, I would recommend this app for the white trash wino, or even a slightly more sophisticated wino. But, if you are that guy writing really beautiful wine notes on your $50 bottle of wine, this probably isn't for you.

In my search for wine apps, I discovered that Kendal Jackson has a free app which recommends foods to pair with their wines. If you are a fan of Kendal Jackson wines (and, in my opinion, you should be) check it out, if you already have, comment and let me know what you think. I haven't taken any of the app's advice yet, since we ate burgers last night and did not drink Kendal Jackson (that's the good stuff - the "I got laid" wine), but when I do, I'll be sure to mention it.

Without further ado, tasting notes...
(In order of appearance.)

August 14, 2013 @ Wine & Cigar Night

Name: Gnarly Head
Producer: Gnarly Head Cellars
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2011
Region: California
Country: US
Alcohol: 14.5%
Price: $8.99/bottle
Barcode: 0082242290432
Flavors: clove, dark berry, oak
Notes: This wine is no diamond in the rough - it tastes like cheap wine because it is cheap wine. But, for $8.99/bottle, it'll get the job done.
Rating: 3.0

Name: J. Lohr Seven Oaks Estates
Producer: Passo Robles
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2010
Region: California
Country: US
Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: $11.99/bottle
Barcode: 0089121288122
Flavors: black pepper, cherry, grape
Notes: Opinions varied - "It's ok," "It's not bad," "It's a good wine." - none of them were very high. With that said, it's a fairly good wine, nothing too impressive.
Rating: 4.7

    

Name: 337
Producer: Noble Vines
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2011
Region: California
Country: US
Alcohol: 14.5%
Price: $12.99/bottle
Barcode: 0082242280433
Flavors: cherry, chocolate, coffee
Notes: A decent everyday-wine with a taste that hits you at the back of the tongue.
Rating: 6.2