I know very, VERY little about wine. So, this is about having fun with friends, good food, and drinks. And it's an entertaining experiment as well. Our perception of what is "good" can get so confused by pricing, packaging, and marketing. But, when you do a blind taste test, the results can be surprising.
How it works is simple. We mark each wine glass and mix them to keep their identity secret. Then we (6 individuals) sip each to look for the smell, taste, texture, acidity, and tannins. We then do it again with food suggestions we've found from various sources. Finally, we rank our favorites with and without food ending with an overall winner.
Bouchard AÎnÊ & Fils 2023 (https://www.bouchard-aine.fr/en/our-wines.r-2/our-range-of-wines.r-12/bourgogne-pinot-noir.v-1290.html?valid_legal=1)
Color: Deep dark red
Nose/Smell: Faint earthy minerals
Taste: Tart berry like a purple SweeTart.
Texure/Mouthfeel: Light and then rought
Acid/Cheek: varied greatly between participants
Tannin/Gumdryness: Slight-to-medium dryness
Food:
BBQ potato chips: smoother with more flavor brought out.
Gouda cheese: Smooth and a little tangy
Chocolate Almonds: Okay...
White Chocolate: Tart and then very sweet. Makes chocolate sweeter.
Thirsty Owl 2023 (https://thirsty-owl-wine-co.square.site/product/pinot-noir-2023/559?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=FL2BJXYPCYMRYAAXHPPA2D2K)
Color: Light, translucent burgundy. Madeira-like.
Nose/Smell: Light strawberry and tart cherry.
Taste: Sour fruit
Texure/Mouthfeel: Very thick, rough. Like corduroy.
Acid/Cheek: Very acidic
Tannin/Gumdryness: Very dry
Food:
BBQ potato chips: Not good and very artificial.
Gouda cheese: Super smokey, but not very tasty.
Chocolate Almonds: Bitter
White Chocolate: Just tart.
Bota Box Pinot Noir (https://www.botabox.com/wines/nighthawk-pinot-noir/)
Color: Very dark red and opaque.
Nose/Smell: Blackberry jam
Taste: Apple, Light, good blackberry jam. Long lasting.
Texure/Mouthfeel: Smooth and jammy.
Acid/Cheek: So light and mild.
Tannin/Gumdryness: Low acid and smooth.
Food:
BBQ potato chips: Makes wine too sweet.
Gouda cheese: Subtly smooth and very good.
Chocolate Almonds: Good
White Chocolate: Pretty good.
Estancia Pinot Noir 2022 (https://www.estanciawines.com/products/pinot-noir)
Color: Very dark and nearly black.
Nose/Smell: Fresh picked fruit. Raspberries and tart apple
Taste: Tart apple and vanilla plum
Texure/Mouthfeel: Mild with a rougher aftertaste.
Acid/Cheek: Medium acidity
Tannin/Gumdryness: Medium
Food:
BBQ potato chips: Disappears and not good.
Gouda cheese: Smokey, wonky, and changes in not a good way.
Chocolate Almonds: Bumps up the sweetness and good.
White Chocolate: varies from okay-to-good depending on person.
BEST PINOT NOIR ON ITS OWN:
#1 Bota Box Pinot Noir
#2 Bouchard AÎnÊ & Fils 2023
#3 Estancia Pinot Noir 2022
#4 Thirsty Owl 2023
BEST PINOT NOIR WITH FOOD:
#1 Bota Box Pinot Noir
#2 Bouchard AÎnÊ & Fils 2023
#3 Thirsty Owl 2023
#4 Estancia Pinot Noir 2022
BEST OVERALL PINOT NOIR:
#1 Bota Box Pinot Noir
#2 Bouchard AÎnÊ & Fils 2023
#3 (TIE) Thirsty Owl 2023/Estancia Pinot Noir 2022
For the 6 participants, Bota Box scored nearly twice as high as 4th place winning best in all categories. The wines themselves varied widely in almost all areas. And changed quite a bit with food. I hope this helps you find something you like. Maybe you'll have a different experience. Or you'll share one for us to try next time. THANKS!
See our other wine tasting results at:
Pinot Grigio/Gris: https://mikekraus.blogspot.com/2024/07/carefree-wine-tasting-pinot-grigiogris.html
HEY ROCHESTER, NEW YORK!
You're invited to:
a WILD, WEIRD, and WOOLY art show
with Lorraine Staunch, Lori Mulligan, and myself!
NOW OPEN AT:
My Story
I’m Mike, the Artist of Mike Kraus Art Inc.
I’ve been making art since I was old enough to hold a crayon. I’d fill countless sketchbooks with drawings, cover school assignments with doodles, and publish magazines and print flyers for my friend’s bands. And then, I became an “adult…” The demands of food and rent seemed to require a “serious job.” For years, I languished in a cubicle performing meaningless tasks for a meager salary.
But, art was always my side hustle. I started selling my artwork in junior high between classes. I’d create original pieces during lectures and commissions instead of homework. Oddly enough, being a poor student is what got me into the prestigious School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Inspired by my past history, I quit my career and took another part-time job as a cashier of a big-box store because it had the least amount of responsibility. The rest of my time I spent painting. After several months, I had to quit this low-wage job too because it was getting in the way of my art.
I decided to be a full-time professional artist. I needed the time to paint, collaborate with my patrons and galleries, and maintain my studio. Since then, I’ve sold thousands of paintings that are displayed in nearly every state and dozens of countries. I’m very fortunate to have a career dedicated to adding more beauty to the world. And I hope to share that experience with you.
For more information or custom order, please visit:
Store: http://MikeKrausArt.etsy.com
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/MikeKraus/
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/mkraus
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