National Tasting
Project 20161
What is the
National Tasting Project?
• The largest group tasting of its kind. More than 140
chapters and 5000+ members across the United States.
Most of them will taste and rate the same wines this year!
• Each year the NTP committee chooses a theme and
selects several wines that show different styles within a
theme. Chapters hold tastings to sample the wines and
then see how their ratings compare to other AWS
chapters.
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The Rhone Rangers
Advancing the knowledge and enjoyment of Rhone wines
produced in America. Members can be:
• Grower
• Winery
• Associate
• Consumer (sidekick)
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• American Rhone-style wines are made from the same
grapes that have flourished for centuries in France’s
Rhone River Valley.
• For a wine to qualify as a “Rhone Rangers” wine, the
winery must be a member of the organization and 75% of
the wine’s content must include one or more of the
twenty-two traditional Rhone grape varieties as approved
by the French government for the wines of the Cotes du
Rhone (including Petite Sirah/Durif).
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Wine #1: This wine is:
100% Marsanne
2014 Vintage
Wine #2: This wine is a blend of:
61% Roussanne
30% Marsanne
9% Viognier
2013 Vintage
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Wine #3: This wine is a blend of:
40% Counoise
36% Mourvèdre
24% Grenache
2013 Vintage
Wine #4: This wine is:
100% Syrah
2011 Vintage
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Wine #5: This wine is a blend of:
37% Mourvèdre
34% Grenache
20% Syrah
9% Cinsault
2011 Vintage
Wine #6: This wine is a blend of:
60% Grenache
40% Syrah
2012 Vintage
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Wine #7: This wine is a blend of:
76% Grenache
14% Syrah
10% Mourvèdre
2013 Vintage
Wine #8: This wine is a blend of:
62% Petite Sirah
19% Grenache
13% Syrah
6% Zinfandel
2012 Vintage
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And the Wines Are?
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WINE # 1 $26 + shipping
Cass 2014 Marsanne, Paso Robles
Vintage2014 was a relatively uneventful growing season.
Tasting NotesEssences of golden delicious apple, spiced nectarine, and Linden flower. Notes of clove honey and crushed lime blossom provide the foundation of a full yet refreshing palate. Hints of Asian pear and honeydew melon underscored with a soft minerality nuances of kiwi, fresh lime zest and raw cashew paste.
WinemakingFermented and aged in 100% stainless steel. Following juice settling, a long, cold fermentation took place. Malolactic fermentation was inhibited to preserve acidity, keeping the wine fresh and crisp.
• Vintage: 2014
• Varietal: White Rhone Blend
• Appellation: Paso Robles
• Alcohol %: 15.1
Cass 2014 Rocking One, Paso Robles
Tasting Notes
Hints of Asian pear preserves, melon meringue, candied quince and
hawthorn blossom. butter cream, Meyer lemon custard and white
peach Soft acidity and stony minerality
Winemaking
Fermented and aged in seasoned oak barrels. The long, slow
fermentation helped maintain crucial aromatics, while occasional
lees stirring helped lend texture and structure to the wine. Partial
malolactic fermentation.
Vineyard Notes
The Cass Estate Vineyard, located southeast of the town of Paso
Robles.
• Vintage: 2014
• Varietal: White Rhone Blend
• Appellation: Paso Robles
• Alcohol %: 15 16
WINE # 2 $32 + shipping
WINE # 3 $40 + shipping
Kukkula 2012 Aatto, Paso RoblesAatto is Finnish for, “eve” as in Christmas Eve. It was Dad’s name because he was born on
Christmas Eve.
Aatto is the winery’s most unusual, exotic wine, both aromatically
and in the flavor profile. Counoise has the lead in percentage.
Counoise and Mourvèdre aged half in new and half in once-used
French Oak puncheons (130 gal) until blending in June 2013. No
fining or filtering.
• Vintage: 2013
• Varietals: 40% Counoise, 36% Mourvèdre, 24% Grenache
• Appelation: Paso Robles
• Alcohol: 14.5,
• Acid: pH 3.65, TA .59
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2011 PAX Syrah, Castelli-Knight Ranch, Russian River Valley
Vintage
2011 was a cool vintage producing wines that were savory almost subtle.
Tasting Notes
Peppery, intense, vibrant and complex. a super
impressive Syrah. Black pepper, olives – black green &
cured black berry aromas that you can smell 3 feet away.
The palate is dense and muscular with loads of spicy black fruit,
more savory than fruit driven, fascinating
Winemaking
Organically farmed. 100% Whole Cluster Fermented
aged for 18 months in French oak barrels, 50% new 50% used.
• Vintage: 2013
• Varietals: 100% Syrah
• Appellation: Russian River Valley
• Alcohol: 14.5%
• Acid: pH 3.65, TA .5918
WINE # 4 $64 + shipping
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WINE # 5 $45+ shipping
Bonny Doon 2011 Le Cigare Volante, Central Coast
Vintage
2011 was a cool and elegant vintage
Tasting Notes
Dark mulberry color, loamy earth, raspberries, plum cherry/chocolate
Lively acidity, soft tannins, meaty peppery
Winemaking
Source grapes from cooler areas. Cold soak for 5-10 days. Destem
75% and whole cluster ferment 25%, slow fermentations typically 30
days, micro-oxygenate wine during ageing, use 130 gal and 2,500 gal
wood casks, malo lactic fermentation
Vintage: 2011
Varietal: 37% Mourvedre, 34% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 9% Cinsault
Appellation: Central Coast
Alcohol: 14.2%
Acid: T.A. 0.58% pH 3.34
Kukkula 2012 Pas de DeuxFrench for, "a dance for two, a close relationship between two people or things”
Because this is a blend of Grenache and Syrah, and they seem to “dance” beautifully together,.
Vintage: A very warm and dry year producing concentrated fruit & high extract.
Tasting Notes: Ripe red berries, musky flowers, hint of smokiness, raspberry and
bitter cherry. Spiceness in finish.
Winemaking: About 50/50 new/used French Oak. Syrah aged in 60 gal. and
Grenache in 133 gal. barrels 9 months until blending. Then additional aging in
60 gal barrels for 9 months. Racked only at time of blending. No fining or
filtering.
• Vintage: 2012
• Varietals: 60% Grenache, 40% Syrah
• Appellation: Paso Robles
• Alcohol: 15.3%
• Acid: , TA 0.58% pH 3.9 20
WINE # 6 $45 + shipping
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WINE # 7 $40 + shipping
Summer Wood 2013 GSM, Paso Robles
Vintage: dry year, small crop, no heat spikes
Tasting Notes: red fruit, savory undertones and spice on the finish. Subtle hint of cedar. The Syrah adds structure to the wine while the Mourvèdre adds the spice. A medium body wine with soft tannins and a lingering finish.
Winemaking: High density plantings, minimum irrigation, and reduced crop loads give low yields of intense flavor.
• Vintage: 2013
• Varietals: 76% Grenache, 14% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre
• Appellation: Paso Robles
• Alcohol: 15.5%
• Acid: TA 0.7 % pH: 3.5
Guyomar 2012 Monsignor, Paso Robles
Vintage
Cool spring warm summer hot fall. Small crop high fruit. Vineyards are located south west side of Paso Robles in the Templeton Gap. Afternoon ocean breezes cool the vines and bring rain to the western side of Paso.
Tasting Notes
berry, allspice, rose petals, ripe heirloom tomatoes, blood orange zest, fresh sawdust hints of juniper berries, sage, anise, and cassis.
WinemakingAim for restrained fruit
• Vintage: 2012• Varietals: 62% Petit Syrah, 19% Grenache, 13% Syrah, 6% Zinfandel• Appellation: Paso Robles• Alcohol: 14.7%• Acid:
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WINE # 8 $52 + shipping
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National Tasting Project
2016