The bottles stood at attention, ready to be discussed, examined and inevitably ranked.

It’s one of my favorite ways to get a party started. Pour out a sample of each wine, tell everyone where it’s from, give details about the winemaker and terroir and listen to the discussion that ensues. Everyone is engaged and goes deeper into the characteristics of a wine.

This is the Wine Hack, where the wine prices are not revealed so as not to sway perception towards either the least or most expensive wine.

Tasted non-blind and at a belated family Christmas gathering, six participants shared their thoughts and the bottles were poured in order from lightest to fullest bodied.

The following story chronicles the results.

The Tasting Notes

From vines planted in the 1950s, Year Wines McLaren Vale Grenache 2017 ($45) showed the lighter side of the variety. It was 100% grenache, light bodied, with dried rose petals on the nose and cherry flavors. Lighter than most Burgundies and certainly American pinot noir, it was an easy wine to sip and could be well paired with salmon, roasted chicken and cheeses.

Garrigue, wild berry, raspberry, plum and grippy tannins emerged on the Philippe Gimel Saint Jean du Barroux Ventoux La Source 2018 ($26). Medium to full bodied it had a touch of carignan and cinsault. 

It was the least expensive of the quartet, but the Tres Picos $19.99) over delivered for its price point. Medium to full bodied with salted red meat, wild game and black and red fruit flavors, it’s bold and as welcoming as a big hug. 

The crowd pleaser was the full bodied, Torrin Senechal 2019 ($96) for its juicy blackberry and plum fruit flavors that overlay rosemary, sage and savory charcuterie notes. Grown on the steep limestone hills of the Willow Creek District, winemaker and founder Scott Hawley adds 24% graciano to the blend.

The Results

Top honors went to Torrin’s Senechal . Five people ranked it their No. 1 wine of the four poured.

A single person recognized Philippe Gimel Saint Jean du Barroux Ventoux La Source as their top wine with Torrin as the runner up. Tres Picos was the runner up for five tasters. Year Wines stood out because it was so approachable. Light bodied and fruit forward, it’s nature made it versatile enough to be enjoyed pool side in the summer or at a tasting where the other wines were medium to full bodied.

A pair of cabernet sauvignon lovers were drawn to the Philippe Gimel. It’s darker fruit profile and grippy tannins were the tipping point. Tres Picos stood as the best value when the prices were revealed at the end of the tasting.

Everyone seemed enchanted with Torrin’s ability to be bold yet juicy with its fruit flavors, were further drawn in by the herbal green notes and charcuterie. Even as everyone rearranged the bottles in their preferred order after the tasting and defended their positions, each wines was praised for being something they would purchase and drink.

The mist used phrase seemed to be, “again, it’s close, but I liked this one just a little more.”

That’s a good Wine Hack right there. A better way to taste wine and have a party a the same time.