The Vinturi Challenge is where we test the Vinturi aerating system against the decanter and the traditional, straight from the bottle.  To see the details of the Challenge, read the 1st post of Barolo.  My intention is to find the best approach to each wine.  Some wines will benefit from decanting, others are better straight from the bottle and maybe we’ll find one which the Vinturi will benefit.  By the time we get through different wines, you will have a better idea of when to decant, when to Vinturi and when to let be.

In a nutshell, during the Vinturi Challenge we taste the wines blind.  One wine is decanted up to 30 min before tasting.  The other wine is poured straight from the bottle and the last is poured through the Vinturi.  The judges rate the wines on aromatics, flavors, tannin, alcohol and acidity.  At the end, each judge picks their favorite glass.  We then show the glass to see which was the judges preference.

The Dry Creek Zinfandel Challenge

Zinfandel has never been one of my favorite grapes, I get bored with the jammy fruits and one-dimensional acidity.  That being said, the Mauritson Dry Creek Zinfandel is not your typical Zin.  It has more structure.  Although it shows a fruity and jammy character, there is a bit more going on, it has back bone.  My thoughts were that for sure this would fail in the Vinturi.  From seeing the way the Vinturi has torn apart wines, I thought the Dry Creek Zinfandel too would be tore up and left with alcohol and alcohol.  Boy, was I wrong.

Mauritson Dry Creek Zinfandel ’10

• The first wine we tried went through the Vinturi.  The wine showed aromas of blackberries, violets, mixed red berry and cocoa.  True to the Vinturi’s nature, the aromas were vibrant and explosive.  On the palate the wine  was dry with higher acidity, smooth tannins and the fruits were present, but not jammy.  The wine’s finish was short, but pretty delicious.  What surprised me was that out of all three wines, the alcohol was not a prevalent in this wine when compared to the wines from the bottle and the decanter.  Three of the five judges preferred the Vinturi!

• The second wine was poured through the decanter.  Two judges preferred this wine, however, they also liked the Vinturi.  I felt as though the aromas were not as intense as from the Vinturi.  There were aromas of flowers but the fruit was not as expressive.  On the palate the wine was juicy and the tannins were less noticeable.  What we did get more of was oak. The wine’s finish had a woody element that everyone picked up on.  Good, bad, not sure, it was just something we all noticed.

• The last wine was poured straight from the bottle.  Although we picked up on the black fruit and berry aromas, it was a bit more closed off than the other wines.  On the palate it was similar to the wine from the Vinturi however the fruit was tart and not as juicy and expressive as wine number one.  It too had a short finish and nothing really stood out.

Dry Creek Zinfandel took the Vinturi Challenge, and for the first time!…The winner is…

The Vinturi Challenge is where we test the Vinturi aerating system against the decanter and the traditional, straight from the bottle.  To see the details of the Challenge, read the 1st post of Barolo.  My intention is to find the best approach to each wine.  Some wines will benefit from decanting, others are better straight from the bottle and maybe we’ll find one which the Vinturi will benefit.  By the time we get through different wines, you will have a better idea of when to decant, when to Vinturi and when to let be.

In a nutshell, during the Vinturi Challenge we taste the wines blind.  One wine is decanted up to 30 min before tasting.  The other wine is poured straight from the bottle and the last is poured through the Vinturi.  The judges rate the wines on aromatics, flavors, tannin, alcohol and acidity.  At the end, each judge picks their favorite glass.  We then show the glass to see which was the judges preference.

The Pinot Noir Challenge

Now a days when we think Pinot Noir, we don’t know what to think.  I used to think of Pinot Noir as light bodied, high acidity and silky.  Lately Pinot Noir is tasting more like Syrah.  So when I decided to put Pinot Noir through the Vinturi Challenge I had to choose particular style.  I choose to do two Pinot Noirs side by side.  One from Burgundy and one from California.  Both are leaner and on the lighter style of Pinot.  Down the road I will re-visit Pinot Noir which is big and ripe.

Joseph Roty Marsannay ’08 and Trione Russian River ’08

•  Sorry Mr. Vinturi, the judges did not pick you for this style of Pinot Noir.  They all agreed that the Marsannay was more aromatic when it went through the Vinturi. However, on the palate the fruit was decimated .  The red cherry and cranberry aromas became tart and astringent on the palate.  The tannins were more prominent, which I thought was strange.  The Russian River Pinot Noir’s aromas were spicy and peppery, yet fruity on the palate.  The wine was not bad, but it was not great either.  It was very plain.

• The Joseph Roty Marsannay  was a bit closed off when it was poured from the bottle. It was not as aromatic as the Vinturi, however, on the palate the fruit was expressive, the tannins silky, and the acidity lingered.  It was not astringent, but mouth-watering.  When poured from the bottle, the Trione Pinot Noir was less spicy and more fruity on the nose.  The flavors were of tart red fruits, the tannins were silky and the acidity was bright and lively.  Two judges agreed that Pinot Noirs were best when poured straight from the bottle.

• Out of the four judges, two others preferred Pinot Noir from the decanter.  The aromas of the Marsannay were a mixture of earth, turned potting soil and red fruit.  The tannins were soft and the fruit showed very well on the palate.  The best part was that the acidity provided structure and did not ruin the wine as in the Vinturi.  The Trione Pinot was  a bit more closed off on the nose, but the fruit was juicy and pure on the palate.  The wine was silky and the finish lingered longer than from the bottle or Vinturi.

Challenge Pinot Noir version 1 has come to an end…and we have another split decision!

The Vinturi Challenge is where we test the Vinturi aerating system against the decanter and the traditional, straight from the bottle.  To see the details of the Challenge, read the 1st post of Barolo.  My intention is to find the best approach to each wine.  Some wines will benefit from decanting, others are better straight from the bottle and maybe we’ll find one which the Vinturi will benefit.  By the time we get through different wines, you will have a better idea of when to decant, when to Vinturi and when to let be.

In a nutshell, during the Vinturi Challenge we taste the wines blind.  One wine is decanted up to 30 min before tasting.  The other wine is poured straight from the bottle and the last is poured through the Vinturi.  The judges rate the wines on aromatics, flavors, tannin, alcohol and acidity.  At the end, each judge picks their favorite glass.  We then show the glass to see which was the judges preference.

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Tikal Malbec “Amorio” Mendoza Argentina 2010

I chose a Malbec to face the Vinturi Challenge, because I presumed it needs aeration.  Laura Catena and Ernesto Catena are the people behind this popular Malbec.  The wine is big and rich, pretty much what people want from a premium Malbec.  It is unfiltered and spends about a year in new and used French oak.

• Unfortunately, out of the four judges, not one picked the Vinturi.  Strangely, the nose was closed off and was not as expressive as the wine which came from the bottle or decanter.  On the palate it was very similar to the wine straight from the bottle, it was dry, tannic and juicy.  All the judges agreed that from the Vinturi the finish was more expressive of fruit.  But why did it not win? The main reason was the lack of aroma and the one-dimensional finish of merely fruit.

• Two judges preferred the Malbec straight from the bottle.  The aromas were of blackberry and other traditional Malbec fruits.  Although the palate was similar to the vinturi, dry and tannic, the fruits were more expressive. The finish was long and balanced.

• Two other judges preferred the wine from the decanter.  The aromas were a subtle and we began to get more red fruits than the other two glasses.  The distinguishing reason was that in the palate the tannins were softer.  The wine’s structure was more integrated and it carried over in to the finish.  What stood out in the finish was the mouth-watering acidity, it just kept going.

Malbec has faced the Vinturi Challenge and it came to a Split Decision!

The Vinturi Challenge is where we test the Vinturi aerating system against the decanter and the traditional, straight from the bottle.  To see the details of the Challenge, read the 1st post of Barolo.  My intention is to find the best approach to each wine.  Some wines will benefit from decanting, others are better straight from the bottle and maybe we’ll find one which the Vinturi will benefit.  By the time we get through different wines, you will have a better idea of when to decant, when to Vinturi and when to let be.

In a nutshell, we taste the wines blind.  One wine is decanted up to 30 min before tasting.  The other wine is poured straight from the bottle and the last is poured through the Vinturi.  The judges rate the wines on aromatics, flavors, tannin, alcohol and acidity.  At the end, each judge picks their favorite glass.  We then show the glass to see which was the judges preference.

NAPA MERITAGE

David Arthur “Meritaggio” Napa 2006 

The David Arthur Meritaggio is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon from Pritchard hill and Sangiovese along with Petit Verdot, Merlot and Cab Franc.  It is a Supertuscan/Bordeaux Blend which is big and powerful with a generous amount of oak.  So how did a quintessential Napa Bordeaux blend fare in the challenge?

• 1 Judge preferred the Vinturi stating that the wine’s aromas were very pretty.  The other 4 judges did not care for it.  Although it’s aromas were enticing, something lacking on the palate.  The tannins were a bit drier and the fruit was missing, leaving the palate incomplete.

• 1 judge preferred from the decanter, stating that the wine was more powerful and had more extraction on the palate.  The other judges were in agreement that all the wine was powerful on the palate, it’s aromas were not pretty as from the Vinturi nor straight from the bottle. I picked up more of the oak than the fruit or floral aromas.  On the palate I felt that the acidity left the wine a bit tight.

• 3 judges preferred the Napa Meritage straight from the bottle.  The aromas were of earth, leather, fruit and flowers.  On the palate the fruit continued to carry over.  It was not stripped of fruit and although the tannins were present, they added to a better balance.  Maurice’s cru prefers straight from the bottle for a 2006 Napa Meritage.