Head to head reds: it’s gonna be war

Last Saturday, we put together a small blind tasting with the object of seeing what difference we could tease out of a handful of vineyard-designated reds. I’d been wanting to try a Ciel du Cheval and a Champoux Vineyard wine, so I picked up a recent model at my favorite wine shop. James pitched in a Table Rock, and I pulled a Klipsun Les Garagistes from downstairs.

I asked my wife to scramble them and put them in brown paper bags. So I knew what all the wines were, but not which bag they were in; James knew about the Table Rock; everyone else had no idea where the wines came from.

Here’s what we tasted:

  • 2002 Soos Creek Champoux Vineyard Red Wine
  • 2001 Table Rock Oregon Merlot
  • 2004 Andrew Will Ciel du Cheval Red Wine
  • 2003 Les Garagistes Klipsun Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

I was pretty sure the Andrew Will would stand above the rest, with anything from the Champoux vineyard following close behind, even though I’d never tasted a Soos Creek before. I just tossed in the Garagistes to fill out the flight.

So who won? You won’t believe me, and I don’t blame you. But that don’t mean it ain’t true: Les Garagistes, unanimously. It’s the power of good grapes from a good vineyard, for sure.

But please, scoff all you want. We’ll console ourselves with Klipsun.

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