Garage made vs. Commercial...taste test coming

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The owner of the company that I work for asked if I would pick out the wine for an upcoming customer dinner, although she did request that it be a Pinot. This is a nice restaurant, with a pretty deep and steep wine menu. My selection: $70 Rombauer Chardonnay and a $70, 92 point Pinot. These were some of the cheapest wines on the menu. I also saw on the menu that you can bring a bottle in, free of corkage fee, for each bottle you buy, up to three.

So, my plan (haven't asked our CEO yet) is to bring a couple bottles of my 2014 Cab Franc and have a blind taste test with the Pinot or another red. I know the varietals are miles apart, but there are a few wine drinkers in the group (party of 19) that could judge the wine in its own merits.

My Cab Franc has 15% Petite Syrah, so it brings the taste closer to the center of what people expect in a red wine. It was in a new French oak 30g barrel for 9 months and is pretty solid. The dinner is on Monday. Any advice? I'll let you know how it goes.
 
Sounds like a fun night! The wine is still a little on the young side IMHO but perhaps if you decant it for some period of time it will be more approachable and show a little better. I wish we could pay a corkage fee here in NM, against the law to being in any outside alcohol of any type in. We would probably go out to dinner more if they did!
 
Excellent opportunity. Anticipate a good reception! Only question should be "Is that all there is??" :br
 
What a great opportunity to show off a little and get some feedback!

I would be all over that, if given the same situation.

Please let us all know how it goes!
 
Since she requested a Pinot - does that mean there is a set menu already? I would make sure the wine pairs well with the food. The other thing that occurred to me was about the "business" itself. If you steer the conversation to yourself and your wine, will that distract from the business at hand?

Otherwise - sounds like a very nice plan! :)
 
The other thing that occurred to me was about the "business" itself. If you steer the conversation to yourself and your wine, will that distract from the business at hand?

Got the go-ahead from our CEO, she thinks it will be fun. They are a customer that we have had for ten years, so there is a pretty high level of comfort. Since they are coming from out of town and we are meeting with them the entire next day, I don't expect too much business to be discussed at dinner.
Here are the two that will be served:
95 point Cabernet Sauvignon - HOOPES VINEYARD HOOPLA, THE MUTT, NAPA VALLEY 2012
92 point - Pinot Noir WILLAKENZIE ESTATE GISÈLE, YAMHILL-CARLTON, WILLAMETTE VALLEY, OR 2012


I will be bringing:
2014 Cabernet Franc discussed earlier
2014 Rhone Blend (Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah)

I did the Rhone blend with a couple other guys, we each took a varietal and then we blended them a year later. Since I think Cab Franc may not appeal to everyone, I'll bring the blend as a back-up. I think the Cab Franc is a better wine, but the blend will appeal to more people.
 
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Hmmmmm.....

Did somebody get the wines bass ackward by chance? You got a Cab Sauv from a very cool Pinot Noir area and a Pinot Noir from a very WARM Cab Sauv area..... :ft

Got the go-ahead from our CEO, she thinks it will be fun. They are a customer that we have had for ten years, so there is a pretty high level of comfort. Since they are coming from out of town and we are meeting with them the entire next day, I don't expect too much business to be discussed at dinner.
Here are the two that will be served:
95 point Pinot Noir - HOOPES VINEYARD HOOPLA, THE MUTT, NAPA VALLEY 2012
92 point Cabernet Sauvignon - WILLAKENZIE ESTATE GISÈLE, YAMHILL-CARLTON, WILLAMETTE VALLEY, OR 2012


I will be bringing:
2014 Cabernet Franc discussed earlier
2014 Rhone Blend (Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah)

I did the Rhone blend with a couple other guys, we each took a varietal and then we blended them a year later. Since I think Cab Franc may not appeal to everyone, I'll bring the blend as a back-up. I think the Cab Franc is a better wine, but the blend will appeal to more people.
 
Hmmmmm.....

Did somebody get the wines bass ackward by chance? You got a Cab Sauv from a very cool Pinot Noir area and a Pinot Noir from a very WARM Cab Sauv area..... :ft

Yup, it appears you are correct Mike. The Willakenzie Estate Gisele from Willamette is indeed a Pinot Noir, and the Hoopes Vineyard Mutt from Napa is indeed a Cab Sauv.

Wish I could attend and taste all 4!!! :HB
 
Yup, it appears you are correct Mike. The Willakenzie Estate Gisele from Willamette is indeed a Pinot Noir, and the Hoopes Vineyard Mutt from Napa is indeed a Cab Sauv.

Wish I could attend and taste all 4!!! :HB

The best pinot noir I've ever had was from Lompoc CA. But most of my favorite pinot noirs are from WA and OR.. Wine is complex..
 
The evening was somewhat anticlimactic. The Somm is off on Mondays, so that was a missed opportunity. Out of the 18 people there, there were 3 that showed interest. We opened:
My 2014 Cab Franc, 9 moths 30g French barrel
My 2014 Rhone blend,Grenache, Syrah Mourvèdre, made in carboys with .4 RS

Restaurant 94 point Wine Enthusiast Cabernet Sauvignon - HOOPES VINEYARD HOOPLA, THE MUTT, NAPA VALLEY 2012

Rombauer Chardonnay, hard to miss with that one.

The tables finished all 4 bottles, but we never opened the Pino.
2 of the 3 wine drinkers really liked the cab franc and thought the GSM blend was good, but not their favorite. 1 of the wine drinkers liked the GSM blend above all.

I was actually disappointed in the Napa "Cab" as it ended up being a blend of cab, merlot, petite syrah and didn't have the big bold Napa cab taste I was looking forward to.

Bottom line, people liked the garage wine, but it really wasn't much of a wine crowd.
 
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All it takes is one complimentary rating from someone who knows what they're tasting to know that you've "done good". :try
 
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