JULIAN'S FINE WINE BLOG
Enjoying a 'Second Wine' of a 'First Growth'
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Drinking a glass of 'Carruades de Lafite' (vintage 2004) with my classmates
Yesterday, at a 'wine practice' at Crush Wine Bar in downtown Toronto, I was tasting wines with my classmates from George Brown College (I am currently enrolled in the sommelier course there). Seeing as how it is the Christmas season, I wanted to end off our tasting session in style; and I figured the 'Second Wine' of Lafite would satisfy such a desire.
Before continuing, however, I do feel it necessary to mention just one thing about my classmates. Without exception, they are all gifted tasters (I can tell this simply by observing the depth with which they examine their wines). And yet, most of them would be ready to admit that they are lacking in overall confidence whenever engaged in the actual exercise of analysing a wine. The reason for this, at least from what I can see, has to do with the fact that they are usually unfamiliar with the winery from which a specific wine is produced.
For my part, I believe the best way to increase one's level of comfort in examining wines is to learn more about the specific winery whose wine(s) one is tasting. And what better way to employ this manner of confidence-building than by tasting the 'Second Wine' of one of the most prestigious estates in the world?!
Needless to say, the 2004 Carraudes de Lafite was excellent. As expected, it was extremely toasty, with notes of roasted coffee beans, earth, 'small' black currants, and light smoke. A powerful-yet-elegant wine, I was happy to be told by my classmates that they enjoyed it, as well as learning a little bit of details on the estate of Lafite, itself.
I hope to sample many other such wines with these fine individuals.
Yesterday, at a 'wine practice' at Crush Wine Bar in downtown Toronto, I was tasting wines with my classmates from George Brown College (I am currently enrolled in the sommelier course there). Seeing as how it is the Christmas season, I wanted to end off our tasting session in style; and I figured the 'Second Wine' of Lafite would satisfy such a desire.
Before continuing, however, I do feel it necessary to mention just one thing about my classmates. Without exception, they are all gifted tasters (I can tell this simply by observing the depth with which they examine their wines). And yet, most of them would be ready to admit that they are lacking in overall confidence whenever engaged in the actual exercise of analysing a wine. The reason for this, at least from what I can see, has to do with the fact that they are usually unfamiliar with the winery from which a specific wine is produced.
For my part, I believe the best way to increase one's level of comfort in examining wines is to learn more about the specific winery whose wine(s) one is tasting. And what better way to employ this manner of confidence-building than by tasting the 'Second Wine' of one of the most prestigious estates in the world?!
Needless to say, the 2004 Carraudes de Lafite was excellent. As expected, it was extremely toasty, with notes of roasted coffee beans, earth, 'small' black currants, and light smoke. A powerful-yet-elegant wine, I was happy to be told by my classmates that they enjoyed it, as well as learning a little bit of details on the estate of Lafite, itself.
I hope to sample many other such wines with these fine individuals.
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