David L. Kahn Wine Tasting Club
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Wine Tasting Summary

In the list below, winery names are linked to their respective Web sites.
#14 Pasta Dinner with Wine pdf Jan 11, 2003
Year Producer, Selection From Variety Price * Score +
1998 Barone Ricasoli, Rocca Guicciarda, Chianti Classico DOCG Italy Sangiovese $15.20 90
1998 Vina Bajoz, Crianza Spain Tinta de Toro (~Tempranillo) $12.00 87
2001 Two Brothers, Big Tattoo Red Chile Cabernet Sauvignon (50%), Syrah (40%), Merlot (10%) $7.20 86
2001 R.H. Phillips, EXP, Dunnigan Hills (white) California Viognier $12.00 86
2001 Villa Rosa, Gavi di Gavi DOCG (white) Italy Cortese $9.60 80
1999 E. Guigal, Gigondas France Grenache (70%), Syrah (20%), Mourvedre (10%) $14.40 78
This was the first time we paired wines with food other than bread, fruit and cheese. It is clear that pairings effect our opinions of a wine, and that some wines 'improve' greatly with the right pairing. We wanted to sample a variety of wines (including two whites) with pasta and tomato sauce. We didn't want to make it overly complicated, so we made a traditional homemade sauce with traditional Italian herbs. Our wines came from several countries (including two samples from Italy).

Perhaps we shouldn't have been surprised that a Chianti took first place. During our previous Chianti tasting (see Wine Tasting #6) we guessed that they'd be even better with a meal. The Barone Ricasoli was a full-bodied red that complemented the pasta and sauce wonderfully. The Vina Bajoz and Big Tattoo Red were also wonderful, and we were pleased to note that the R.H.Phillips white held its own.
* The Price reflects the club discount for non-sale wines purchased at Kappy's Liquors in Sudbury and Wine Cellars of Silene in Waltham. Any purchases at the club price must be coordinated through me.
+ The Score represents the average rating of the group at this tasting, on a scale from 50 to 100. We each assign a value of 0-4 for appearance, 0-6 for aroma, 0-6 for flavor and 0-4 for our overall impression resulting in a total score from 0-20. These are averaged, the result is multiplied by 2.5 and then 50 is added. The resulting 50-100 scale is the same range used by Wine Spectator though their process may be different.