The wines are spicy and show lots of red fruit but a bit more concentrated than the Pinot Noir flight, and had plenty of black pepper, and some, particularly the Yangrra, were reminiscent of the Grenache based wines from southern Rhone, they were so expressive though and I loved them. My favorites of the flight were the Yangarra and the Ochota Barrels, and in fact the Ochota Barrels was probably my favorite wine of the entire class, because after talking with Australians about their continent and what to expect if I ever visit and what makes Australia unique, it was right there in the Ochota, as plain as day. The wines we tasted were the 2011 Ess & See, 2011 Ochota Barrels Fugazi Vineyard, 2010 Yangarra Estate High Sands, and 2009 d’Arenberg Blewitt Springs. The sandy soil drains well in McLaren Vale, making it ideal for Grenache, and there isn’t a lot of rainfall. I’ve tasted wines with some Grenache in them, from McLaren Vale, but never wines like these. The Grenache flight from McLaren Vale left the most of an impression with me. And what was really incredible was that the wines were 12.5%, 13%, and 12.7% alcohol, respectively. It had great texture with lovely acidity and plenty of fruit notes, more red and fresh than dark and stewed, lots of cherry, smokiness, flower petals, and cool stony earthiness. The last wine of the flight was my favorite of the flight - the 2010 Mac Forbes Yarra Valley Pinot Noir. Again, since 2011 was a cooler vintage, the wine seemed slightly thin, but it was more expressive than the Giant Steps. Usually when we think of De Bortoli, it’s the Noble One botrytized dessert wine, so this was interesting. So alcohol levels were a lot lower in the Pinot Noir than in most of the Shiraz wines I’ve tasted - and right in my wheelhouse! We began with the 2011 Giant Steps Applejack Pinot Noir, which felt a bit thin to me but was pleasurable and interesting, and since it was the first wine we tasted, already I knew I was in for something new - lighter style Australian wines! Next up was the 2011 De Bortoli Estate Pinot Noir. Yarra Valley, it turns out, is a cooler place in terms of climate than some of the regions I’m more used to. Cahors fascinates me, as does Irouleguy, and others, particularly Buzet and Bergerac, but the wines I seem to be infatuated with are the bone dry, dark, rustic, expressive Tannat based wines of Madiran. Since that day, I’ve felt a special connection with those wines from Sud-Ouest, and have taken quite a bit of time to learn about them even more, and taste as many as I can find. Usually, they cover a specific region of wine production, and some have truly changed the way I view wine - in particular, my very first Guild of Sommeliers class taught by MS Dexheimer and MS Carney almost 2 years ago, on the wines from Sud-Ouest, South West France. When they’re offered in New York, I try to attend as many as possible. The Guild offers some really fascinating “master classes” which are taught by level 4 master sommeliers on various topics. As you may know, I’m a member of the Guild of Sommeliers, which I joined just over 2 years ago when I began with the Court of Master Sommeliers. That said, here’s something I’ve been meaning to share with you since I attended the class.
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