Thursday, May 22, 2008

Klassic Knudsen: August 18th, 2007.....

Man on Winery Tour Tastes the Gooseberry

Napa Valley-While visiting the Flora Springs Winery today, Dale Southerland, a 40-year-old accountant from Van Nuys, noted 27 distinct flavors in the 2006 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay.

"Sure, we've had people note ten, maybe fifteen flavors, describe the aroma a little bit and comment on the finish, but this is just incredible," Winemaker Ken Deis explained. "Nobody has taken it to this level before. It's just a great example of how precise wine tasting is and how some people are much better at this than others. And Dale is just a really impressive guy. We are all just very impressed."

Mr. Southerland, who noted a hint of gooseberry and autumn leaves as the 26th and 27th flavors, thinks that there may be even more subtle flavors in the wine but he would need more time to sort them out. "I'm not entirely sure, but right at the end I almost think I noted just a splash of black currant with bing cherry undertones. And, could it be? Yes, it is. Just a trace of squirrel's feet and chalkboard erasers. Sublime."

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