RVF Tasting Competition April 6, 2024

Here are Didier's tasting notes from the competition with the 12 wines that were blind tasted by 34 teams. It was the 4th stage of the competition, held on April 6th at the Maison des Vins de Pays d'Oc in Lattes. 

You will find his reflections and thought process there! A very beautiful competition with delicious wines tasted. 7th place out of 34, not bad! 

Here is also the report from La Revue du Vin de France that you can find HERE with the final ranking and all the wines that were tasted.

Improve your blind tasting abilities by adopting certain reflexes: does the acidity indicate that we are in the North or South? And the alcohol? What are the flavor markers to identify a grape variety? Warm or cool year? Are there secondary or tertiary aromas? 

In short, a multitude of questions to ask yourself while educating your taste buds in order to determine a region, an appellation, a domain, a cuvée and even a vintage! 

Hats off to the artists! 

Wine number 1

Marked golden color, some orange reflections, nose of dried fruits and pastry, lemony and ample mouth.

The aromatics suggest it is a Chardonnay but the color and volume make us choose a Pinot Noir, we must choose a grape variety even if it is probably a blend.

Vintage 2015 for the generosity of the wine and the slight evolution perceived on the nose.

REVEAL: It is a blend of the 3 grape varieties 2016..

Wine number 2

Golden color, green reflections

Citrus nose, a hint of greenness, an herbaceous side

The mouth is marked by a lively acidity, lemony but also a slight bitterness that makes us hesitate between a wine from a cool climate and a wine from a warm climate on an acidic grape variety.

The nose leads us to mark a Sauvignon 2021 in Sancerre without great conviction.

REVEAL: It is a Picpoul 2023, an IGP d'Oc. 

Wine number 3

Pale golden robe

Anise nose, oily, candied lemons, bitter almonds

Round and rich mouth with bitterness, powerful

Clearly a wine from the South probably Rhône Valley, we think of a white Châteauneuf based on Roussanne

REVEAL: It is a Marsanne in Crozes Hermitage 2020 Thalabert from Jaboulet

Wine number 4

Pale golden robe, the nose is on citrus, grapefruit in particular, relatively oaky.

The mouth is powerful with a bit of bitterness. We lean towards Sauvignon in Bordeaux on a warm vintage (2020)

REVEAL: It is indeed a Sauvignon on a warm vintage (2022) but in Loire at Menetou

Wine number 5

Pale golden robe, first nose not very clean (nail polish, glue), then citrus, exotic fruits, dried fruits

On the palate; enormous acidity, perhaps a slight residual sugar

We hesitate between a Chenin, a dry Jurançon and a Riesling.

The aromatics and the enormous acidity make us choose a Jurançon. 

REVEAL: It is a Riesling without petroleum notes that many candidates will find, and which costs us a 1st or 2nd place. The slight residual sugar should have made us eliminate the dry Jurançon option... too bad..

Wine number 6

Young wine with a robe with bluish reflections and medium intensity. On the palate, there are notes of black cherry, it's very round and not very tannic, a little Malabar side and peppery notes.

Clearly a Gamay, Chiroubles for the cherry-like side and 2022 for the amplitude.. 

REVEAL: It is indeed a Gamay but in Beaujolais appellation and on 2023..

Wine number 7

Light robe, matte, slightly evolved, peppery and licorice nose, the mouth is relatively acidic with some

A Cabernet Franc for us in Bourgueil or Chinon, we finally mark Bourgueil 2021

REVEAL: It is a Chinon 2018 from Olga Raffault.

Wine number 8

Matte robe slightly evolved, nose of crushed strawberry, cocoa, graphite, powdery

The mouth is balanced, fruity with still apparent tannins and aging.

We have a debate on the quality of the aging that I find elegant that my partner finds vulgar

We choose a Merlot in Bordeaux appellation on a warm vintage, 2018. 

REVEAL: It is a Merlot in Bordeaux but in Saint Emilion on 2019, Château Grand Corbin.

Wine number 9

Quite light and evolved robe, nose of cooked fruits slightly oxidized.

The mouth is not very tannic, quite round and almost sweet

We think of a Grenache Syrah Carignan blend in IGP d'Oc

We must choose a main grape variety, we opt for Grenache... and 2018 as vintage.

REVEAL: We are indeed in IGP d'Oc but with 40% Syrah and 30% Grenache

Wine number 10

Matte evolved robe, medium intensity.

Nose, floral, cherry-like,

The mouth is tannic, with notes of resin and olive, we think once again of a blend in Languedoc but with a lot of Syrah or a Bandol but the tannins are not sufficient.

We try a Syrah in AOP La Clape. 

REVEAL: it is a majority Grenache in Vacqueyras, an appellation where we often find cherry-like and floral notes.

Wine number 11

Evolved color, matte and not very intense

On the palate, it's jammy, almost sweet animal, leather, still some tannins,

We go directly for a Châteauneuf du Pape on a beautiful vintage (2007)

REVEAL: And that's exactly it, a Clos de l'Oratoire 2007.

Wine number 12

Nose of bitter oranges pineapple

Marked golden robe with orange reflections

Powerful mouth with a lot of sugar, medium acidity and slight bitterness

REVEAL: We are in Sauternes on 2018 and that's exactly it: a Château de Veyres 2018

We finish 7th out of 34, an honorable performance that allows us to qualify despite 2 errors on wines numbers 5 and 10.

More to come in May! Well done team!