This year’s Blind Tasting Reveal from TEXSOM 2024 is an exciting journey through a curated selection of six remarkable wines from around the world.
This tasting experience is designed to explore the intricacies of flavor, aroma, and structure in these exceptional wines. Below is a detailed look at each wine featured in our reveal, along with the reasoning behind their selection!
Spy Valley E Block 2022 (Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand)
New Zealand is renowned for its vibrant Sauvignon Blancs, and Spy Valley’s E Block 2022 exemplifies the region’s signature style. This wine was chosen for its expressive aromatics and fresh, zesty profile, making it an ideal representative of Marlborough’s winemaking excellence — and especially Spy Valley’s.
- Visual: Pale straw with hints of green, moderate concentration
- Aromas/Flavors:
- Fruit: Citrus (grapefruit, lemon, lime), melon, gooseberry, tropical fruit (passion fruit, guava, pineapple)
- Floral: Faint white flowers, citrus blossoms
- Herbal/Green/Pyrazine: Cut grass, asparagus, canned pea, green bell pepper, jalapeño, blackcurrant bud, rhubarb
- Earth: Moderate minerality, wet rocks, chalk
- Oak: Used or none
- Structure: Dry, moderate body, high acidity, moderate to moderate-plus alcohol
Domaine de La Garenne Pouilly-Fuissé 2020 (Chardonnay, Burgundy, France)
Burgundy Chardonnay is iconic, and Domaine de La Garenne’s Pouilly-Fuissé 2020 was selected for its complexity and elegance. This wine embodies the refined minerality and subtle oak integration that are hallmarks of the region’s finest cuvees.
- Visual: Straw to yellow/pale gold, moderate to moderate-plus concentration
- Aromas/Flavors:
- Fruit: Tree fruits (green/yellow apple, pear, quince), citrus (lemon), melon, stone fruit (white peach, yellow cherry)
- Sulfuric Note: Flint, burnt match, slight cabbage
- Oxidative Notes: Almond, hazelnut, cheese rind
- Malolactic Notes: Slight butter
- Lees Notes: Crème fraîche/sour cream
- Floral: White flowers, acacia, hawthorne, honeysuckle, apple blossoms
- Other: Slight spice, slight savory herbs
- Earth: Moderate to high minerality, limestone, button mushroom
- Oak: Low to high use of new French oak, toffee, salted caramel, butterscotch, sweet baking spices, cinnamon, toast, smoke
- Bottle Age Aromas: Truffle, honey, nut
- Structure: Dry, moderate to full body, elevated acidity, moderate to elevated alcohol
Alheit Hereafter Here 2021 (Chenin Blanc, South Africa)
Chenin Blanc is a versatile grape that South Africa has more than mastered. The Alheit Hereafter Here 2021 was selected for its ability to showcase the varietal’s potential, combining fresh acidity with complex aromas and flavors, representative of South Africa’s continuously evolving wine landscape.
- Visual: Pale straw/straw with hints of green, moderate concentration
- Aromas/Flavors:
- Fruit: Tree fruit (green/golden/oxidized apple, quince, yellow pear), citrus (tangerine, orange, lemon)
- Oxidative Notes: Bitter nut, almond, cheese rind/soft cheese
- Floral: Orange blossoms, jasmine, honeysuckle, fragrant white flowers
- Herbal: Chamomile/herbal tea, medicinal notes, dandelion greens, wasabi, savory herbs, tree bark
- Earth: Moderate-plus minerality, wet stones, white mushroom
- Oak: None or neutral cask
- Structure: Dry, moderate body, medium-plus acidity, moderate alcohol
Château de Pommard Micault 2019 (Pinot Noir, Burgundy, France)
We couldn’t possibly get by without including a Pinot Noir from Burgundy! Château de Pommard Micault 2019 was chosen to represent the region’s capacity to produce wines of elegance and complexity. This wine highlights the terroir-driven nature of Burgundy’s Pinot Noirs, making it a must-include and must-indulge.
- Visual: Light ruby/ruby color, moderate-minus to moderate concentration
- Aromas/Flavors:
- Fruit: Tart to just ripe red fruit (red cherry, raspberry, cranberry, wild strawberry), possible black cherry, beet/beetroot, tomato
- Floral: Purple and red flowers, violets, lilacs, potpourri
- Herbal/Vegetable: Tea leaf, dried herbs, fennel, rhubarb, sweet squash
- Spice: Red licorice, anise, clove
- Other: Game, leather
- Earth: Moderate to high minerality, fluoride, wet stone, mushroom/forest floor, damp leaves
- Oak: Neutral to high use of new French oak, toast, vanilla bean, smoke, baking spices, cinnamon, roasted nut
- Structure: Dry, medium body, medium tannin, elevated acidity, moderate alcohol
Elderton Shiraz 2020 (Barossa Valley, Australia)
Barossa Valley is synonymous with bold, powerful Shiraz, and the Elderton Shiraz 2020 perfectly embodies this style. We chose this wine for its intense fruit concentration, vibrant spice notes, and rich texture, which together create a quintessential Australian Shiraz experience.
- Visual: Opaque, dark purple color, high concentration, deeply stained tears
- Aromas/Flavors:
- Fruit: Ripe/lush black fruit (blackberry, cassis), lush blue fruit (blueberry, plum), dried fruit (fig, raisin, date), raspberry liqueur, mulberry
- Floral: Purple and red flowers, lavender (less prominent than in Northern Rhône examples)
- Herbal/Green: Eucalyptus, mint/menthol, herbes de Provence, rosemary
- Spice: Black pepper, dried savory spices, licorice, Christmas spices/fruitcake
- Other: Bitter chocolate, smoke, grilled meat
- Earth: Medium-minus minerality
- Oak: Low use of new American oak, vanilla, coconut, dill, chocolate, mocha, baking spices, cumin, curry/fenugreek, maple
- Structure: Dry, full body, moderate-plus tannin, moderate-plus acidity, elevated alcohol
Capanna Brunello 2018 (Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy)
Brunello di Montalcino (and Capanna) are a cornerstone of Italian winemaking, and the Capanna Brunello 2018 was selected for its robust character and age-worthy structure. This wine was chosen to showcase the power and elegance that define great Brunello’s, making it a fitting finale to the tasting lineup.
- Visual: Dark ruby, garnet rim variation, moderate-plus concentration
- Aromas/Flavors:
- Fruit: Tart red fruit (sour cherry, raspberry, cranberry, red currant), red apple, black cherry, mulberry, tomato
- Floral: Dried flowers, potpourri
- Herbal/Green: Fennel, roasted savory herbs, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, camphor, bitter root
- Spice: Clove, smoke (Brettanomyces indicators), coffee/oak spices
- Other: Sanguine/blood, balsamic, animal, leather, tar
- Earth: Moderate to high minerality, clay, crushed rock, baked earth
- Oak: Large neutral cask (classic examples do not see significant new wood)
- Structure: Bone dry to dry, full body, high tannin, high acidity, elevated alcohol
The Broadbent Selections Blind Tasting Reveal at TEXSOM 2024 is an extraordinary — and now annual — event that celebrates each wine’s unique exploration of its origin and the craftsmanship of its producers. Whether you’re a sommelier or simply passionate about wine, this tasting reveals the true essence and diversity of our global portfolio.
How many did you guess right?
