Blind Tasting

I had the privilege of participating in a blind tasting of classic wines hosted by the Guild of Sommeliers at Daniel Boulud (Wynn Las Vegas) yesterday. I made the stunning drive back to Sin City from the beach bright and early for this rare opportunity. Some bottles had been donated to The Guild that the attendees don’t come across regularly. I always learn so much from this forum of tasting – after we privately analyzed the wines and came to our own conclusions (country, region, area, quality level, varietal, vintage, and producer), we had a group discussion and then the wine was revealed to us. The deductive tasting format challenges your whole knowledge of wine and there are only a handful of people in the world who are right more than they are wrong.  It’s quite motivating and especially exciting when the wines are best in class. Here’s what we had. If you want specific tasting note, please leave a comment and I’ll get right back to you!

Wine #1: USA, California, Napa Valley, high, Bordeaux blend, 1994, Dominus

Wine #2: France, Northern Rhone, Ermitage, high, Syrah, 1996, Le Meal

Wine #3: France, Burgundy, Cote de Nuits, Clos Vougeot, Grand Cru (high), Pinot Noir, 1999, Alex Gambal

Wine #4: Italy, Piemonte, Barolo (high), Nebbiolo, 2001, Bartolo Mascarello

Wine #5: France, Bordeaux, Right Bank, Libournais, St. Émilion, high, Merlot, 1996, Château La Gomerie

Wine #6: Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri, high, 60% Cab, 30% Merlot, 10% Syrah, 1997, Guado Al Tasso