Tonight we set up a very organized and systematic blending experiment. After reading about mixing cabernet sauvignon or merlot with our sangiovese to achieve a more full bodied wine we arranged an experiment by blending in increments...100% of our Soldato Sangiovese, and then an 80/20 blend, 60/40, and 40/60. Problem: The tasters (that's us) are supposed to spit after each sample. We can't figure out how to do that! We tried every possible scenario, but we are simply unable to taste without swallowing! (Don't judge until you've tried to do it) I honestly don't understand how it's done, because until the wine hits the very back of my mouth, all I get is the sensation of wine, but not the taste. However, being reasonable people on a Monday night, we tasted only the tiniest of samples from each blending! Trust me...:)
The verdict: After analyzing our notes taken during each tasting, our conclusion is that our Soldato Sangiovese stands alone. When we added the cabernet sauvignon we lost the earthiness associated with the sangiovese and felt it compromised the wine. The addition of merlot was a disaster all around.
The bottom line: We set out to make a Tuscan style red and we're sticking with it. We like our wine!!
I'm with you on the spitting and being able to taste. We must not be sophisticated enough to throw the wine back in the mouth and then spit it out! Oh, well....maybe with time!
ReplyDelete