Liz the host came up with a really cool idea to do five stations of food where guests brought a wine that would pair with the food items. Most wines showed well and the social piece was priceless. Fun group!
CellarTracker! MN Valley Fine Wine Tasting Meetup “Pairings”
Top 3:
1. 2016 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel
2. 2019 Casadei Petit Verdot Filare 41 Toscana IGT (Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT)
3. 2019 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia
Starters:
Great starters and better than many of the wines.
- 2023 Devium Les Collines Vineyard – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Nice wine overall with white flowers, smoke, flint, minerals, orange peel and spices. Medium finish. Rhone Whites from Washington always seem to deliver at least most of the time. (92 pts.) - 2013 Rare Champagne – France, Champagne
Not an official wine on the event tonight so not a fair fight. Clearly the best wine with dough, lemon, pear, minerals, chalk, sour apple and crust. Medium plus finish. These are much better than Dom for less money. 94.5 points (94 pts.)
Dish 1: Barbecued Shrimp
Top wine Diel.
- N.V. Virginie T. Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs – France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Way overpriced for sure and sounds like a Total Wine Champagne. Lemon, spice, dust and floral notes. Drinkable but can’t imagine spending $75 for this wine. (87 pts.) - 2011 Schlossgut Diel Dorsheimer Pittermännchen Riesling Großes Gewächs – Germany, Nahe
In a good spot right now. Flint, lemon, apricots, spice, orange zest and sour apple. Nice acidity and complex offering. Very good. (91 pts.) - 2020 Pazo de Barrantes Rías Baixas Gran Vino – Spain, Galicia, Rías Baixas
Very overpriced if the average is $50 on tracker. Can’t imagine more than $20. Lemon, green apples, floral and grass. Short to medium finish. (87 pts.)
Dish Two: Smoky Bacon-Ginger Cookies
Top wine Guiraud
- 2009 Château Guiraud – France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
Very good showing with honey, floral, orange marmalade, spices, flowers and ripe peaches. Medium plus finish. (93 pts.)
- 2021 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Crozes-Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert – France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage
Good overall with smoke, earth, cherry, band aide, floral and stone. Medium finish. Solid effort. (91 pts.) - 2021 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon 1858 Napa Valley – USA, California, Napa Valley
Well a member of the club asked Total Wine for a recommendation and that is never a good thing. My first wine disrupted in 2026 and this is a top 10 worst wine of the year candidate. Artificial sweetener, dirt and smoke. Not much going on here other that it is a very difficult wine to drink. (60 pts.)
Dish 3: Pork Lettuce Wraps
Top wine Prum
- 2021 Beaux Frères Pinot Noir Willamette Valley – USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Very good with cranberry, spice, mushrooms, dust, dark fruits, earth and floral notes. Very nice wine. (92 pts.)
- 2016 Adelsheim Pinot Noir Winderlea Vineyard – USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills
Very good and elegant. Raspberries, strawberries, earth, spice, wafer and floral notes. Drink now and medium finish. (93 pts.) - 2016 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel – Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
A bit warm on first taste but a bit colder and better. Honey, ripe peaches, orange peel, minerals, slate, apricots and flowers. Medium plus finish and concentrated. (94 pts.)
Dish 4: Deviled Eggs
Top wine Ponzi
- 2019 Ponzi Vineyards Chardonnay Alloro – USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Laurelwood District
Good but not in elite level like an Abbott Claim, Morgen Long or Walter Scott. Flint, dust, apple, earth and sour apple. Good acidity. (91 pts.) - 2020 Argyle Brut Rosé Spirit Hill Vineyard – USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola – Amity Hills
Argyle has really fallen off my radar and this is fine but nothing special. Strawberries, minerals, cherry and floral notes. Medium finish and decent acidity. Would not pay over $30 for this. (88 pts.)
Dish 5: Hanky Pankies
Top wine Casadei
- 2019 Casadei Petit Verdot Filare 41 Toscana IGT – Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
Very nice wine and top 3 of the night for me. Bright fruit and some funk. What is not to like. Earth, cherry, plum, minerals, tobacco and floral notes. Medium plus finish. Most satisfied with this effort. 93.5 points (93 pts.) - 2019 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia – Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG
These have been really good with a 3 hour decant. Rustic in nature with clay, earth, leather, red currants, spices, floral and dried leaves. Medium finish. Should drink well through 2035. (93 pts.)
- 2018 Leonetti Cellar Aglianico Serra Pedace Vineyard – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
What a strange wine. Again Washington brining these grapes usually are not a good fit and this is one of the more expensive wines I would never buy. Tasted blind and got ash tray, lacks fruit, spice and floral notes. Compared to the other 3 wines at the table it was dead last. Sad part is the guy who brought this could have finished top 3 with a Saviah Funk Syrah but choose not to bring it. (81 pts.)
- 2020 Two Hands Shiraz Dave’s Block Single Vineyard Blythman’s Road Blewitt Springs McLaren Vale – Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale
Excellent showing with bright fruits featuring blackberries, plum and cherry. Menthol, black pepper and spices. This is a drink now wine with a two hour decant but could age through 2034. (93 pts.)
