Vintage Pairs Round 8, 6 Sep 2016

In this round of Vintage Pairs Blind Tasting, we served:

Calera Wine Company ‘Mills Vineyard’ Pinot Noir - 1999 & 1994

Josh Jensen established this pioneer estate in Mt. Harlan, San Benito County, in 1974. The Mills Vineyard is a high elevation (2200-2300 feet above sea level) slope, planted in 1984. The site used to be a limestone quarry.

Te Mata Estate ‘Coleraine’ - 2008 & 2007

This estate in New Zealand’s Hawkes Bay region is one the oldest in the country. The Buck family brought it up to date in the late ‘70s and from 1982 produced this Bordeaux blend named Coleraine (after their ancestral home in Ireland), quickly becoming regarded as NZ’s best.

2008 – 13.5% abv, 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc
2007 – 14% abv, 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc

Tenuta San Guido ‘Sassicaia’ - 1998 & 1996

Founded by horse fanatic Piemonte aristocrats for… horse breeding, like all good aristocratic families they needed the trappings of a civilized life at their Tuscan estate, so they planted vines. ‘Sassicaia’ was originally made for home use from the first vintage in the 1940s, and subsequently released commercially from the 1968 vintage. Lucky us! Having no place in the DOC/Gs of the region it was originally a ‘Vino di Tavola’ the lowest of the low. But in Italy success breeds laws, and in 1994 Sassicaia was granted its own DOC.

1998 – 13% abv, 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc (Bold ripe year)
1996 – 12.5% abv, 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc (cool, difficult year)

Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto di Serralunga d’Alba - 1998 & 1996

Born in 1929 Bruno Giacosa rose to prominence in the 1960s to 1980s for the quality of his traditional (5,000-litre botti-aged) Barbarescos and Barolos, including district and single vineyard bottlings. The key is low-yielding ripe fruit. 1998 is 14% abv
 

Marques de Murrieta Castillo Ygay Rioja Gran Reserva - 2007 & 1925

The first estate to export wines from Rioja, founded 1852. 485m elevation, southern end of Rioja Alta. The Castillo Ygay is the top wine, not made every year.

2007 – 14% abv; 86% Tempranillo, 14% Mazuelo. 28 months in 225-litre oak barriques (French for Mazuelo, American for Tempranillo). Released 2015.

1925 - 13% abv; 49% Tempranillo, 19% Garnacha, 17% Mazuelo, 15% Graciano; 13 days in American oak vats, 5 years in new American oak barrels, then 32 years in old barrels, then 9 years in bottle before release in 1973!