Opaque Tasting Vol. 3

Let's set the scene: picture me in a dimly lit confession room. O Father! My Father! For I have sinned by testing the limits of patience and palate alike! I adore a good jest, and there's nothing quite like the mischievous delight of blind tastings. With Father's ever-understanding and forgiving silence as my constant companion, I press on. Sure, I could plunge us into darkness (by turning the lights off) or take the more futuristic route of poking everyone's eyes with a fork. Fortunately, dear Lord gave us the gift of absolutely opaque black glasses---divine in their ability to obscure wine's identity. Meanwhile, the devil in his mundane banality has filled my backpack with some rather tricky bottles.

I don't wait for absolution; there's something we've forgotten. And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing. After all, we've danced this dance---more than once, assuredly, and hopefully not for the last time.

Now, to keep things straightforward, the grand idea behind this event is not necessarily to taste the best wines but to actually learn about grapes and regions. It's about being alone with your sensations from organoleptic sensors---no stories, biases, just you and the wine. To add to the fun, we'll be sipping from these perfectly opaque glasses, leaving you blind not just to colour--I've also decided to toy with serving temperatures to keep everyone on their toes.

But fear not, I'm not a total villain. On the menu, we have two straightforward, text-book options: a Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough and a classic Médoc. Then come the curveballs---wines typical of their grape but elusive in their origin, a delightful bottle of rosé Champagne, and a whimsical wild card: a macerated Pinot Grigio reminiscent of a light red wine.

So there you have it! And if you're feeling daunted, remember to always look on the bright side of life.

P.S. The Pommard is a bonus bottle we opened because one of the participants admitted they had never tried Burgundy. And this was the only Burgundian wine in the office (I keep all the others at home, hehe).

Johnson Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2023

Yes! It's a classic Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough (not 'Sun'). Why? Because last time, even though most of you nailed all the correct descriptors, only one participant successfully identified it as Sauvignon Blanc! And no, expecting me to trick you is not a valid excuse. I'll keep bringing these wines until everyone masters this lesson. Jokes aside, I have nothing against this type of wine. There are certainly better examples out there, but this is a textbook bottle from an estate that holds a special place in my stomach heart thanks to their Pinot Noir (don't ask me how many bottles I have purchased).

Now, I'm just delighted that not only did some of you guess both the grape and the origins of this wine, but you also explained why. Bravo!

Crystallum Ferrum Chardonnay 2022

Now onto a trickier bottle. In my opinion, identifying the Chardonnay in this wine is straightforward. The challenge lies in pinpointing the country of origin. It leans more European in style rather than New World, if you ask me. You didn't? OK! Let's see the results.

And indeed, it was tricky. While almost everyone guessed its colour, only one person connected the aromas and structure to Chardonnay. Moreover, this was the only wine from the main course that no one named as their favorite of the night.

Gentle Folk Village Pinot Noir 2021

This Pinot Noir is a personal favorite of mine for casual drinking---not just for tasting, but for genuinely enjoying. While it might not be reflected on this site or in my notes, my memory serves me well: I've gone through about two cases. Is that a lot? Not in my book. But it certainly speaks volumes about my feelings toward this wine.

So, what's the point? This is a textbook Pinot Noir, but with a tricky origin. In my opinion, it also leans towards a European style. And no, I'm not trying to be the epitome of pure evil here. It's a fantastic study case. Trust me, I have even better tricks saved for the end.

Participants were anticipating some tricks to unfold sooner rather than later, so not everyone guessed the colour. Two people guessed Pinot Noir, and one even walked right into my intended trap---Burgundy. Alas! It's Australia.

Chateau Clement Saint-Jean Médoc 2016

I rarely drink Bordeaux. Not because I have anything against the region, but because the world of wine is simply too vast to explore everything. Focus is key, as they say. Maybe with the drop in demand for Bordeaux, I'll have the opportunity to pick wines from this region more often---we shall see.

This wine is a textbook Médoc. I chose this bottle because some of the participants are fans of Bordeaux (although in a rather wide and non-specific way). So, this is my attempt to appease some of the attendees.

Here, it was easy to guess the colour, and everyone did well on that front. But identifying the grape(s) and origin of this wine proved challenging. Even the Bordeaux enthusiasts didn't get it right. There was one particularly interesting guess---Rioja---which, I must admit, makes sense.

Laherte Fréres Rosé de Meunier Extra Brut (d2023) NV

Now we are moving towards the tricky part. By my plan, we are already tipsy, so a bottle of sparkling wine should wake us up (try not to sing). The trick here---rosé Meunier. While preparing for this tasting, I had no expectations on how it would be received. I wondered if people would guess that it's sparkling (considering the opaque glasses and the slightly higher-than-recommended serving temperature), if it's Champagne, and if it's rosé. The Meunier here is actually meant to help. I mean, in such a setup, Blanc de Noirs could trick people into messing up the colour.

Luckily, no one doubted that it's sparkling. But guessing the colour was a real trick. Someone even said it was red! Most thought it was white, and there was a commendable guess of Blanc de Noirs. But, I must admit, it was a bit devilish to use Rosé de Meunier for opaque glass tastings. It's a shame not everyone enjoyed this wine---I've noted their names and will make sure not to invite them to future sparkling parties, hehe.

Radikon Sivi 2021

And now for the most controversial pick of the evening. In a way, we had a similar situation during our very first Opaque Tasting, which once even led to an attendee crying. Guessing a wine is no simple feat. Sivi---a macerated Pinot Grigio with a light-red colour and aromas more akin to a red wine, served slightly chilled.

Oh, this one turned out to be the most interesting. This time participants were divided---half thought it was an orange wine, and half thought it was a red wine. But you know, not seeing the colour actually made it easier for some to guess it was macerated Pinot Grigio! One person's guess was off with JM Dreyer from Alsace, and one person (initially betting on Georgia) guessed Sivi on their second attempt. Amazing folks!

Philippe Pacalet Pommard 2017

One of the participants bet on Burgundy when we were guessing the origin of the wine that turned out to be Médoc. When asked about the reason for this guess, they admitted they had never tried Burgundy. For various reasons, I try not to keep Burgundy in the office, but fortunately, I had this beautiful Pommard, which exemplifies a certain "young generation" style. We tasted it openly, and I'm so glad everyone enjoyed it. With that, we called it a day.

Raw scores