A Black Ankle wine blind tasting: wild words, surprising winners(2)
Some of the reds we drank. (Photo by Francine Halvorsen)
How could Greg and I keep up with that? We tried. “I like the dense ruby color and the peppery nose,” Greg said. “I like the fruit overtones and the complexity.”
“It’s not as tannic as the color would lead you to believe,” I said, likening this wine to a Borgueil. “I like that it has cab undertones, but a medley of softer grapes. It loosens up as you drink it.”
What We Were Drinking:
Chateau Micalet Haut Medoc Cru Artisan 2005 (France) ($20)
Final Score:
First Place
Our next one inspired, but ultimately disappointed Dehaene. “Ah this is the blood of the bull, baby! Very dry, almost like a cigar leaf, that smell when you open the wrapper,” he said. “It is a little watery though. Underdeveloped.”
Greg liked it (“I can taste the Cabernet Franc. There is a little bit of sweetness.”) but I didn’t see it. “It’s a good light-finish red,” I wrote. “Not too much complexity. I wouldn’t refuse it with a meal, but I find it a little indifferent.”
Chef was with me on this (“not fully developed. Doesn’t deliver.”) but Greg stuck to his guns. (“I disagree. I think it is a good subtle Bourgueil.”)
What We Were Drinking:
La Coudraye Yannick Amirault Bourgueil 2008 (Loire) ($20)
Final Score:
Third Place
There was even more disagreement on the next red. Dehaene went wild for it.
“The first sip brings a visual image – A flying seagull comes to mind. It has a misty dark spidery smell,” he said. “It’s robust and with a tearful ending. By that I mean that you wish you had another bottle.”
We really study this stuff. (Photo by Fern Shen)
Wow.
Greg, who found it a bit tart, wasn’t having any of it. “Some of the adjectives you use are very nice,” he said, “but this is not for me.” I agreed with him.
“I like it but it seems, for lack of a better word, young,” I said. “The taste is good, but the flavors don’t resonate with each sip, which is what I expect of good Bordeaux. I feel like I am waiting for another layer to emerge.”
Chef was adamant. “I would drink it with anything.”
What We Were Drinking:
Black Ankle Crumbling Rock 2008 (Maryland) ($45)
Final score:
Second Place
Finally, we came to our last red and we were pretty much letting our hair down at this point. Chef was not pleased with this wine.
“It is as if you crack a walnut and open it up and smell, not the nutmeat, but the membrane, the papery part,” he said. “I’m trying to avoid saying ‘dried house paint in a can.’”
Greg was kinder: “I think it has strong tannins, which I often like.” Not me. “I prefer when there is a balance of tannins and smoothness,” I said. “I find this a little rough.” Chef and I are both down on this wine: “It seems old,” he said, “and not in a good way.”
What We Were Drinking:
Lang & Reed North Coast Cabernet Franc 2009 (California) ($18)
Final Score:
Fourth Place
Final Rankings on the Reds
First Place: Chateau Micalet Haut Medoc Cru Artisan 2005 ($20)
Second Place: Black Ankle Crumbling Rock 2008 ($45)
Third Place: La Coudraye Yannick Amirault Bourgeuil Loire 2008 ($20)
Fourth Place: Lang & Reed North Coast Cabernet Franc 2009 ($18)
Final Thoughts on it All
It was gratifying to discover that the priciest wines were not necessarily our favorites. Our panel preferred a $12 Australian Viognier over a $47 Alsatian Pinot Gris, as well as the $28 Black Ankle Bedlam.
And yet, as the lively discussion and disparate voting showed, especially on the reds, so much is really quite subjective. Greg and I favored the $20 Chateau Micalet and rated it higher than the $45 Black Ankle Crumbling Rock, but Dehaene felt strongly that we’d gotten it backwards. Go, Maryland!
Francine will confess: she's had worse assignments. (Photo by Fern Shen)
At the end of the day we like to drink the wine that pleases our senses.
Everyone has to begin by tasting and finding preferences and price points they’re comfortable with. If Black Ankle’s green and sustainable practices add to their price, some who value that might not mind.
If the storybook atmosphere of a vineyard enhances the flavor of the wine and you can afford it, well why not. For those whose wallets don’t allow for such niceties, that $12 wine that blew us away in Hampden may be just the ticket.
We, meanwhile, are considering adopting the Dehaene Figure of Speech test, only succumbing to pricier wines if they have one of those eneffable qualities . . . you know, like parrot feathers, bistro walls or a forest in the morning.
