Wine tasting as a professional is work. I’m not saying it is brain surgery type of hard work, I’m not even saying it is pharmaceutical rep hard work. After all, if I tell someone that the blend in a bottle of wine is 60% cab and 40% but it is 50/50, there is really no consequence. If a pharma rep gets the facts wrong, it can have major consequences. 

Last week I attended the Skurnik Grand Portfolio Tasting. There were 190 tables. 1041 wines, 324 spirits, 34 sakes. I know from social media that one wine snuck in so it was a total of about 1400 adult beverages. The tasting was open for 5 hours. If you wanted to taste everything you would need to only spend an average of 1.57 minutes per table or about 0.28 seconds per item. That would be assuming you didn’t listen to the wine representative tell you about the wine, you don’t take notes, and you don’t have to wait behind other people who are waiting to talk to some of the most popular people such as Pax Mahle, Cathy Corison or Raul Perez.

This means that you absolutely cannot taste everything. I started by tasting some champagne from Mousse and then moved on to Becky Wasserman. 

The notes I take at such large tastings are not thorough but they are evocative of emotions I have about the wines. The logistics of tastings can become complex. The move to digital tasting books means that you are trying to type on a phone and manage a spit cup and a wine glass. I use a notebook and pen. Also now instead of writing the name of a wine I write a number starting with one and take photos so the order of the wines follows the photos. It is a juggling act of glass, spit cut, pen, phone, notebook. A click pen is best and a thin moleskine-type notebook that measures 5×8.5.

After tasting thru the Becky Wasserman wines, I focused on Spanish wines, stopped to see some other people because of a personal interest, and left after several hours. Did I want to spend more time tasting French wines to see what they were like and see how climate change has affected them? Of course! Did I want to do the same for German wines? Once again yes. Maybe in two years when they do the Grand Portfolio Tasting again, I will focus.

The following are my shorthand notes on the wines I tasted. There is no way to taste at events like this and give everything your undivided attention. You can attempt to evaluate but the first thing I think is “Do I like this wine or not?”, do I want to sit with friends and sip it? I think more complex wines that would develop in the glass and continue to evolve are challenged by large tasting such as this. The caveat to that of course is that you have to know what you are tasting. Wines from certain areas might take time to mature so you have to use your imagination.

*Yes. I use swear words in my private notes but I will figure out a way to give the same emphasis without saying “fuck”.

Becky Wasserman & Co

Jean Baptiste Boudier Pernand Vergelesses Blanc 2021
Lots of acidity. Complex in a mild way. 

Chateau de Plaisance “La Grande Piece” 2021 Anjou Blanc
On the label is “Ronceray”, that is code for dry Quarts de Chaume. Beautiful wine. Sharp.

Antoine Sanzay “Les Salles Martin” 2020 Saumur
Dry, lots of acidity. Feel like tannins.

Domaine Marcel Deiss, Complantation 2022 Alsace
Beautiful wine. Love this.

Domaine Marcel Deiss, “Ribeauville” 2021 Alsace Village Blanc 
Another beautiful wine. 

Domaine Marcel Deiss, “Engelgarten” 2022 Alsace Cru Blanc
High acidity

Domaine Marcel Deiss, “Schoffweg” 2018 Alsace Cru Blanc
Love this

Domaine Marcel Deiss “Le Jeu des Verts” Gruenspiel 2021 Alsace Orange
I gave this 3 stars (Stars are one of my shortcuts). Amphora, no additional sulfur added. Beautiful nose and mouthfeel. Dry finish.

Domaine Marcel Deiss “Schonenbourg” 2019 Alsace Grand Cru Blanc 
Fucking delicious

Chateau de Plaisance “Sur La Butte” 2021 Anjou Rouge
Fucking beautiful nose. So tasty.

Antoine Sanzay, “Les Poyeux” 2020 Saumur Champigny
Cabernet Franc. Liked this.

Corison
2019 Cabernet Sauvignon
Lovely

2020 Cabernet Sauvignon
Beautiful

Kiki & Juan 
Orange 2022 (Liter)
Macabeo and Sauvignon Blanc. Decent tasting

Red 2022 (Liter)
Bobal and Tempranillo. Crisp, bright tannins. Good

Spanish Delights*
*the name of this particular table, not the importer/supplier.

Bodegas Arautava, Arautava, Listan Blanco 2022
Holy shit. Love

Bodegas Arautava, Finca La Habanera, Listan Blanco 2021
Beautiful wine.

Dominio do Bibei, La Pola, Ribeira Sacra Blanco, 2020
More fruity. Really pretty.

Escabeces, Cartoixà Vermell, Tarragona, 2021
Interesting delight. Not sweet. Grows on you. I wanted to taste this because I am on a mission to go to Tarragona and visit the Museu del Vermut Restaurant

Bodegas Arautava, Arautava, Listan Negro, 2022
Intense tar like

Bodegas Frontonio, Garnacha Blend, Telescopico, 2020
Beautiful wine.

Goros, Tempranillo, 2020
Delicious

Beyond the Spanish Delights were the Spanish superstars of Raul Perez, Artadi, and La Rioja Alta. In between all of those was Finca Torremilanos* Tasting with Vicente Peñalba of Finca Torremilanos was such a nice experience. Vicente, along with his brother and mother, runs the winery.  Per Vicente, the wines are all organic and biodynamic.

Speaking the language of the winery I think brings one closer to the wine. Anyone who speaks a language fluently I think, knows that the conversation can be deeper and more exciting. One of the advantages of speaking Spanish is that there can be a comfort level in talking to Spanish winemakers in Spanish. There is a generosity and facility in conversing with someone in their language. It also allows me to practice my Spanish and enhance my Spanish wine vocabulary. 

Finca Torremilanos/Peñalba Lopez

Finca Torremilanos, Vino Blanco, ‘Peñalba Lopez’, 2022
Beautiful wine with no sulfites added.

Clarete ‘Ojo Gallo’, 2022
Awesome wine with no sulfites added. This is a clairet is a blend of Tempranillo (50%), Garnacha/Cariñena/Bobal (10%), Albillo/Viura/Malvasia/Airen (40%)

‘Montecastrillo Tinto’, Ribera del Duero, 2022
Easy drinking with tannins on the finish.

‘El Porron de Lara’, 2022
100% Tempranillo. Delicious wine, a fun label. No filtering, no fining, no sulfites added.

‘Los Cantos’, Ribera del Duero 2020
Easy drinking but tannins show.

‘Torremilanos’ Crianza, Ribera del Duero, 2019
Could use some time in the cellar. 2% Merlot

‘Cyclo’, Ribera del Duero, 2020
Elegant but needs time. Good spice on the finish but not hot.

‘Torre Albeniz’, Reserva, Ribera del Duero, 2019
Beautiful nose. Age worthy.