Last Thursday we had a few wine club members join us for a complimentary, blind tasting of the 2012 and 2013 vintages of Fait Main’s Teeter Totter Cabernet Sauvignon. First a little background on Fait Main, which means “hand made” in French. Fait Main is Benoit Touquette’s own label.  Benoit, makes wine for Realm, Hartwell, Jack Quinn and others. He garnered two 100 point wines with the 2012 vintage and is viewed as one of the “rising stars” in the winemaking world.  Benoit’s Fait Main makes even higher end wines including the $175 bottle Cabernet Sauvignon with fruit from the famous Las Piedras Vineyard.

Bent On Fine Wine served Point Reyes blue cheese, a 6 month aged Manchego and Saint Andre’s triple cream.  We mention this because depending on which cheese the tasters were eating, it affected the flavors dramatically.

There was variety on which was the “better”  wine, but most all agreed on the flavor profile and differences.

2012 Teeter Totter – the ’12 was fruit forward, easy drinking and while still blind, most guessed that it had higher alcohol content. One taster preferred the ’13 at first, but noticed as the ’12 opened up, it was more to her liking.

2013 Teeter  Totter – the ’13 is clearly a more tannic, full, robust wine that will reward cellaring better than the ’12.  It is a more complex wine already, but will need some time to allow the tannins to integrate further.  The ’13 is better appreciated with food today, where as the ’12 can easily be sipped alone or with mild cheeses or other light flavored foods.

So the mystery is still unsolved. The better wine is in the eyes, or in this case, palette of the beholder.  I personally think the ’13 is a better made wine that will age with nuances and layers that the ’12 wouldn’t achieve.  However, if you are looking for an easy drinking wine, that isn’t overly complicated, the ’12 might suit your tastes well.  Unfortunately, here and all across the internet the ’12 is unavailable.  But if you’re looking to try the 2013, you can find it here: Teeter Totter If you’re still wondering about the alcohol content, the labels both say 14.1%.