Trade Event: Wine Guy Imports portfolio tasting, April 22, 2008

 The Time and Date: Tuesday, April 22, 2008   2 PM to 8 PM

The Event: portfolio tasting of Wine Guy Imports.

The Venue: Rosewater Supper Club

The Target Audience: wine media, restaurants, and private customers.

The Availability/Catalogue: about 140 wines were available for sampling. All were consignment or private orders. I did not try them all. The complete portfolio is about 300 pages and contains detailed tasting notes and images for all the wines. It is a PDF, and you can get a copy from the agency via email (see below). The tasting catalogue that we had did cite the necessary details about each wine, including some background on the firms plus grape varieties used. Unfortunately, it was misbound. I did not taste all wines (note the review above for Sacha Lichine), and I pre-tasted one beer.

The Quote: Zoltan Szabo said that the Deus Brut des Flandres 2006 which is made in Belgium but then shipped to Champagne for final MC treatment was a sparkling barley wine…"Magnificent"

The Wines: prices are RETAIL.

 

**** Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-Acrobat Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2007 Mudgee $16.99

-Prince Hill Chardonnay (Australia) 2006 $23.99

-Mestres M Brut Nature Special Reserve 2004 (Spain) $32.99

-Lazzeretti Brunello di Montalcino 2003 $62.99

-Vecchia Storia Barbaresco Riserva 2000 $42.99

-Vecchia Storia Barolo 2001 $51.99

-Chateau Lamothe-Cissac Haut-Medoc Vieilles Vignes 2003 $39.99

 

***1/2 Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-Acrobat Chardonnay 2006 Mudgee $16.99

-Acrobat Shiraz 2006 Mudgee $16.99

-Mestres El Cupatges Blends Barcelona (sparkler) $35.49

-La Fortuna Zeta Brunello di Montalcino 2003 $65.99

-Ca Di Tella Montepulciano D'Abruzzo Barrique 2004 $24.99

-Mastroleto Negroamaro 2006 Brindisi $18.99

-Desmonta Merlot Riserva 2004 Veronella $27.99

-Bixio Amarone 2004 $49.99

-Domaine Paul Kubler Grand Cru Zinnkoepfle Gewurztraminer 2005 Alsace $41.99

-Domaine Paul Kubler Pinot Gris K 2006 Alsace $27.99

-Chateau La Rivalerie Cuvee Majoral 2003 Bordeaux Premiers Cotes de Blaye $22.99

-Chateau Cantegrive Haut Monbadon Cotes de Castillon 2003 $21.49

-Chateau Lamothe-Cissac Haut-Medoc Vieilles Vignes 2004 $39.99

-Chateau Lamothe-Cissac Haut-Medoc Vieilles Vignes 2005 $40.99

 

*** Three Stars (85 – 87 in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-La Fortuna Zeta Vino Rosso Toscano 2006 $28.99

-Canalicchio di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino 2003 $61.99

-Ethos Valpolicella 2006 $13.99

-La Vieille Eglise Bordeaux 2006 $18.99

-Cuvee Webb Ellis Rouge 2005 Marmande $18.99

-Chateau La Rivalerie Grand Champ Rouge 2004 Bordeaux Premiers Cotes de Blaye $17.99

-Chateau Le Puy Tradition 2004 Bordeaux Cotes de Francs (biodynamique) $30.99

-Sacha Lichine Syrah 2005 $18.99

 

The Food: artisanal cheeses and breads.

The Downside: there was a low turnout.

The Upside: there was plenty of room to maneuver.

The Contact Person: stephen@wineguyimports.com.

The Effectiveness (numerical grade): 85.

 

Chimo!  www.deantudor.com