***BWE DC Blind Tasting: '95 vs '96 Medocs

[JimHow]

Let's get it on!

[DavidG]

MIchaelP is going to win the "farthest traveled" and "quickest to get his wines in" awards. Now to figure out the prize...

[RDD]

Can someone tell me what "holes" we need to fill?
I'm pulling wines ......................

[DavidG]

Rob, we are in good shape as we have commitments already for 3 bottles of each of the 6 wines in the blind tasting. Feel free to bring one if you wish. If we encounter a corked bottle we could use it for the blind tasting. Otherwise you can serve it during dinner.

I also have rented 225 12-oz wine glasses, enough for everyone to have 6 so we can compare all of the wines together. These are not huge glasses - space on the tables would get tight with 16-oz stems, but they are decently shaped, similar to the Riedel Vinum chianti/zin glass if the picture I was shown is accurate. Anyone who wishes to bring their own stems is welcome to do so.

[RDD]

Rob, we are in good shape as we have commitments already for 3 bottles of each of the 6 wines in the blind tasting. Feel free to bring one if you wish. If we encounter a corked bottle we could use it for the blind tasting. Otherwise you can serve it during dinner.

I also have rented 225 12-oz wine glasses, enough for everyone to have 6 so we can compare all of the wines together. These are not huge glasses - space on the tables would get tight with 16-oz stems, but they are decently shaped, similar to the Riedel Vinum chianti/zin glass if the picture I was shown is accurate. Anyone who wishes to bring their own stems is welcome to do so.

Maybe I'll bring some 1995 Right Bank as a "contender".

[DavidG]

Pours will be 1.5 oz each, which with 3 bottles and 37 tasters should leave about 1/2 bottle extra if anyone needs another taste. If any bottles are corked we'll just shorten the pours to 1 oz unless we happen to have a backup. If I get a few volunteers we can pour the wines during the last 15 minutes of the welcome reception so they'll all be lined up and ready to go by 7:30. I have pour restrictors and will have double-decanted the wines off their sediment earlier in the afternoon so this will make the pouring relatively quick and easy.

THIS MEANS YOU HAVE TO HAVE YOUR WINES FOR THE BLIND TASTING TO ME BY FRIDAY NIGHT.


I will be at BWE Central, the Washington Hilton, 1919 Connecticut Ave. NW, starting Thursday night. If I'm not in my room when you drop them off, leave them with the front desk or bellman in my name. I have PM'd each of those bringing wines my cell phone # and email address.

The wines will simply be labeled 1-6 and the pours will be left to right. I'll hand out scoring/tasting note sheets. I'll ask for rankings (1=best, 6=worst) and award 3 points for a first place vote, 2 points for a second place vote, and 1 point for a third place vote.

I'm toying with the idea of having a little contest to see who is best at guessing the wines, with 1 point for correct wine, 1 point for correct vintage, and 1 point for getting both right (total of 18 possible points). I'm just not sure if people want to do that, and don't really want to spend the evening grading papers.

Perhaps we can do the WOTN voting by show of hands and put everyone on the honor system for scoring their blind tasting accuracy. If the show of hands turns into a fiasco I can always ask for the score sheets to be turned in.

The only thing I'm certain of is that whatever we do, someone will think there's a better way. So send me your suggestions now. I won't' promise that I'll heed them. As organizer, I am claiming "Benevolent Sub-Dictator" status for this event.

[tim]

I like the idea of a contest. It's fun and it helps to develop the sense of smell/taste/identification.

[DavidG]

Tim, I think it does focus the attention and adds to the fun, so I'm leaning towards doing it. I don't want to be too geeky about it and people wont have to play if they don't want to. If people self-score no one will have to be embarassed about showing their score card to anyone else.

[JimHow]

My two bottles of 1996 Ducru are at the ready.

Can't wait!

[Jay Winton]

My contribution will be from the Southern Rhone. Not sure what yet.

[Michael-P]

I think we should try for the more focused, score by identifying the wines, version. Also for ranking in writing. I know it takes more time and effort, but we get a cleaner result in the end. And the suspense is always fun!

Michael-P

[Jay Winton]

mrs vino, recalling her stunning second place finish at the last DC convention, says bring it on!

[Jay Winton]

My contribution will be from the Southern Rhone. Not sure what yet.

sorry this was for the Friday night dinner thread-please disregard

[Nicklasss]

David, I've secured a bottle of the 1996 GPL locally (MacArthur Bev). So I'll be all right to give it to you in Jim's room on Thursday, or before leaving the hotel to attend the Friday night dinner.

I just want to point out that Jimhow won't be stressed by this blind tasting as there is no Lynch Bages. Normally, when Lynch Bages is present, Jimhow transform himself into a kind of ''nasty'' contestant (I know Mr. Suckling already called Jim as ''nasty'' in the past), using all kind of means to get the ''Poor man Mouton'' in the winning place...

Nic

[JimHow]

Um, Nic, I believe he called me "vicious"....

[Blanquito]

Didn't Suckling also suggest therapy?

[JimHow]

It was one of my proudest moments in the internet wine debate....

[stefan]

Jim, can you pull up the thread on the infamous "The Sucker vs the BWE BD" thread? It was pretty funny.

[Nicklasss]

Ok. I confirm that you can be ''vicious'' when there is a strong contestant against Lynch Bages in a blind tasting...

Nic

[DavidG]

That's fine, Nic. I can gather the wines on Thursday afternoon.

How about if I do a separate written ballot for the WOTN voting, but let people keep their TN sheets and score their own guesses at the wines after the votes are in and the labels revealed? Are we an honorable enough bunch for that? After the reveal, I can ask for a show of hands for how many got 18 points, how many got 17, 16, etc. until hands start to go up, and we see whose got the sharpest palates on the night.

[hm$]

David:

In a number of the pst years, I have volunteered to tally the results in real-time. Happy to do it this time as well if you have everyone give me their sheets. It takes about 10 minutes.
I loved the contest last time, but there is no chance I will win it.

------

Nic:

I have to go to Macarthur beverages on Thursday. if you want me to get your wine(s), let me know or you are welcome to come with me (I have a car).
My cell is 214-280-4467.

hm$ (Howard)

[stefan]

>>
Are we an honorable enough bunch for that?
>>

You have got to be kidding. You know how many lawyers will be there.

[DavidG]

Howard, I will gladly accept your offer!

[JimHow]

Wish I could find that Sucking thread, Stefan, that was a classic.

I predict that the 1996 Ducru... also known as the St. Julien "Lynch 'Once the Poor Man's Mouton Now Known as the New Lafite' Bages"... will win the blind tasting in a landslide.

[stefan]

Gosh, I had intended to vote for the Ducru, but maybe now I will vote for Cos.

[Chateau Vin]

Jim, can you pull up the thread on the infamous "The Sucker vs the BWE BD" thread? It was pretty funny.

Is this it?

http://www.bordeauxwineenthusiasts.com/ ... ing#p19595

[DavidG]

I predict that the 1996 Ducru... also known as the St. Julien "Lynch 'Once the Poor Man's Mouton Now Known as the New Lafite' Bages"... will win the blind tasting in a landslide.

Awww, you're just sayin' that 'cuz RP gave it 1 more point than the '95 GPL and Cos, and we all know you're such a slave to Parker points.

See you later today!