 
|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
|
|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
In Reply to: Re: The rule of diminishing returns in relation to wine... posted by Lee on June 27, 2001 at 13:10:30:
I bow to the great knowledge and erudition of all the professionals on this board. However I would like to try to put in 5c worth on the original question - I have never bought wines at that price but when my father died he left a "cellar" of fine wines and during the year following his decease my mother and I (with some help from various friends) worked our way through them - a real ordeal - whilst I tried to put his estate in order (that was an ordeal). These wines had all been propely cellared and most were over 10 years old with some over 20 years old - I believe the sale value to have been high. Most were French Grands Vins but of differing vintages. Some were superb, many were rather thin and vinaigry whilst a few were "corked" and were undrinkable. If you like "big, fruity, heavy" wines you could do better with a moderately priced Australian or Chilean wine but I must admit that these wines did have subtle nuances that you don't get in New World wines usually. Also a hint of (petrol?) sometimes that I fail to see/taste as an advantage! Never had that in a NW wine!
I would say that France occasionally has superb years but it has been some time since a truly great Chateau Neuf vintage was produced. Australia, Chile, South Africa and Cal can rely on the weather most years and use modern methods to produce good wines every year.
Follow Ups:
Satyr, interesting read. A couple of comments, you said "If you like "big, fruity, heavy" wines you could do better with a moderately priced Australian or Chilean wine but I must admit that these wines did have subtle nuances that you don't get in New World wines usually."I think most winos would agree with that statement. The new world wines do tend to be bigger, frutier, and heavier wines. They are hedonistic and for my tastes, they're too syrupy. They are massively tannic and full of oak, and as time passes, so does their prime. Whereas the french grand vins tend to be big and tannic in their youth (nowhere near as much as their new world counterparts), but the truly great ones will mature into something so refreshingly balanced. They even plateau where the real great ones (27's, 45's, 53's) get stuck in a time warp and seem almost defiant against aging. I've read similar sentiments from old vintage (mid 1800's) first growth vertical tastings where the lucky participants echoed similar thoughts.
Now, as for your fathers cellar, if those bottles were indeed properly stored, there is no reason they should have tasted like vinegar. For the great producers, 10 to 20 years is often well short of their prime. 20 years is a pretty short time for a great wine and there is no reason that one would turn south in less than 10 years other than poor storage, horrible vintage, or the wine was not from a a single vineyard and was instead a mass produced wine like the mouton-cadet.
If you are really looking for a big fruity mouthful of wine, you probably don't want to look at any 20 year old bordeaux save for the 86's and possibly some of the 82's like ducru- still, they will be no match for a glass of 97 opus one or any of the 1990-98 Beringer private reserve cabs which are overflowing with fresh fruit, oak, and have seriously high tannin levels.
I will remember the point about the Beringer and if they are ever available on an academics salary ...
My point was really about consistency of taste I guess. I know that I will get much the same taste from a NW wine because the conditions and methods of production virtually guarantee that. Old world wines have a huge amount of superstition built into the "ethos". The weather is far more inconsistent and some of the methods seem to go back to the dark ages.
I am worried about the disappearance of old grape varieties but I have tried some of them whilst travelling around Europe and some of them possibly deserve to become extinct! However it is a real danger that commercial success will go to only a handful of grapes and the rest will dissappear.
PS Can you explain why some French wines seem to have a slightly "musty" aftertaste?
I think that it is much easier for a consumer to find a palateable NW wine than an OW wine. I think many wines from the Old World are a little more esoteric and varied. This makes the entire area less accessable to the consumer. Generally, if a consumer buys a Napa Cab they can expect bold fruit with hints of green pepper and mint. If a consumer buys a Bordeaux, the extra research is needed to find the wine which will meet your tastes. Is it powerful Pauillac or sensual St. Emilion? Even within an extremely well controlled appellation like Pomerol, is it flashy extroverted Chateau Le Pin or deep, impenetrable Petrus. It can all be rather confusing.To address the musty taste; let's just say that not everyone is as sanitary about the barrels they use. Generally the flavor can come from being aged in a tainted barrel. The flavour is also a characteristic of a bottle being 'corked'. Also, in my experience, most 'black' grapes can taste a bit thin and musty when over-cropped.
Thanks -the information about the barrels strikes a chord. I bought a case of Cahors in France and found that all of them had that musty taste whereas I have had other bottles from the same region/vineyard that were fine. Corked wine I find tends to go to-wards rotten fruit!
A guess: you're talking about young southern wines--like the Cahors you mention--and the mustiness is...tannins, which to my taste often give young syrah/grenache/mourvedre-based wines an unplaesant taste (and nose) reminiscent of (sorry) an old band-aid. Give those bottles, oh, five years in the cellar--and voila, no more mustiness.
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
Top of Page ]
[ Contact Us ]
[ Support/Wish List ]
[ Copyright © 2024, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]
