Field Notes from a Wine Life ? Trend Edition

Odds and ends from a life lived through the prism of the wine glass…

The Devil’s Cut

I’m a sucker for the clever and unconventional, I admit it.  One such bit of cleverness isn’t even wine-related, though it is oak barrel related.

Most wine enthusiasts are familiar with the, “Angel’s Share.”  It’s a term that denotes the wine (or spirits) that is lost from a barrel due to evaporation during the aging process.  Now comes the, “Devil’s Cut” from Jim Beam.

Using a proprietary process that extracts the bourbon moisture that’s left in the staves of the barrel after being emptied, this extract is then blended with regular Jim Bream to create a deeper, more characterful sipper.

I’d hate to think what a wine might taste like if the, “Devil’s Cut” was blended in from a wine-aged oak barrel, but a thumb’s up to Jim Beam for thinking outside the box.  The wine world could use more esoteric and idiosyncratic ideas similar to what the Scholium Project is doing, turning wine on its head.  Can a day be too far away when white Pinot Noir and orange wines aren’t outliers?

Speaking of Idiosyncratic

Last year I wrote a story on Proof Wine Collective and their out-of-the-box wine label design work.  An edgy company of twenty-something’s in San Luis Obispo, they’re set to eschew a services-oriented business helping market other people’s wine projects and start their own wine thing.

Anti-wine by the guys at Proof sets the table for what’s to come with an Anti-wine Manifesto that says in part, “I can hear the death rattle of our industry when salespeople peddle wines made and re-made in the same style, over and over.  I hear it when they glorify classism, pretending that customers own a cellar to age wines for decades, when in truth we buy a bottle to drink tonight…My goal with this project is to be free from the affectations of an industry I can no longer respect.  These wines follow no formulae (Ed. Note:  Nice use of the plural of formula!). They are blended between vintages in order to take the best traits of each.  I regard red and white varietals as equals, and intermix them with no interest in what is “sellable.”

I like idea, for sure.  However, initial reverberations indicate that they’re going to have to do some traditional-type activity in the wine business to get solid footing.  Sales at retail.  Wine events.

If a nascent wine brand truly wants to be free from the affectations of the industry and do so without being shticky then it has to be prepared to swim completely against the current. 

I’m rooting for Anti-wine, but I’d also like to see a completely new playbook written for the wine business, not a statement of intent while coloring inside the lines.

Tastevin

I’ve read a couple of recent articles that indicate that watches are set to become a trend (here and here).  This struck me as odd because I hadn’t received the memo that watches were out of style.  I started to think about accessories for wine enthusiasts that are decidedly out of style and I came to the tastevin.

image

Traditionally used by Sommeliers, but long out of favor, the only reason I know it’s not a mythical unicorn, is because a Somm. at my honeymoon resort some years ago was wearing one and checking the quality of the bottles he was serving by taking a quick sniff and slurp.

Now inspired, I’m starting a one-man wine trend.  If you see me at a wine tasting in the future it’s probable that I’ll be using a tastevin instead of the insipid glassware that’s usually provided.

Feel free to adopt usage of a tastevin for yourself.  The key to not feeling douchey is to either be incredibly confident or so hip that others don’t even know its hip.  Either will work for this emerging trend that you and I are starting.  Buy one at Amazon.com.

Source: http://goodgrape.com/index.php/site/field_notes_from_a_wine_life_trend_edition/

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Reminder: WBW 71 Is This Week!

It seems like is was just a few days ago that I announced the next edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday but it has been nearly 3 weeks. So just a friendly reminder that WBW 71, “Rhones Not From The Rhône,” is in just two days. And it’s easy to participate; just pick up a wine [...]

Reminder: WBW 71 Is This Week! originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/P5Lljfs40TQ/

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Tasting notes - Berlin Tasting

Here follows my tasting notes from The Berlin Tasting in Copenhagen. No. 1 - 2005 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild (Bordeaux) Dark colour with intense smell of pencil, cigar, currant and spicy wood. It’s full-bodied, rich and concentrated but also with an upfront softness. 96/100. No. 2 - 2004 Sassicaia (Tuscany) Not so intense in the nose - a little cherry. The [...]

Source: http://www.wine4freaks.com/40/tasting-notes-berlin-tasting/

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2009 California Pinot Noir Inside the Numbers: 8 Producers to Seek Out

Just how good is the 2009 California Pinot Noir Vintage? More than 55% of the wines rated by Wine Spectator have clocked in at 90 points or better. To put that into context, just 42% of the California Pinot Noirs rated by Spectator rated 90 or better - and they called 2007 the best vintage of California Pinot Noir ever.

Below is a chart showing 2009 ratings vs. 2007. Notice how in 2009 the mode (most frequently occurring rating) is 92 points whereas in 2007 it was 88 points:


Point being: There are a ton of terrific wines to track down from this vintage. But how many of the highly rated wines are attainable? How many of the values are actionable?

First, I want to understand which of the wines are the best values according to Spectator. I could easily sort on wines rated 90 or better costing less than $30 but I want to discover value at all price points. To do this I sift through the data and apply the WWP QPR Calculator (what's that?) to the wines rated so far for 2009.

The WWP QPR attempts to quantify the way deal hounds react to ratings within a category considering price. A WWP QPR rating of "1.0" is fair value and from there bigger numbers are better, numbers less than 1.0 are worse.

I then sorted the wines according to the WWP QPR to discover the top values according to the way I react to ratings and price. According to these metrics here are the best values in 2009 California Pinot Noir according to Wine Spectator ratings:



Price Rating WWP QPR
 Dehlinger Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Goldridge Vineyard $45 95 2.12
 Failla Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Keefer Ranch $45 95 2.12
 Loring Pinot Noir Russian River Valley $29 93 2.07
 Loring Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands $29 93 2.07
 A.P. Vin Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands Rosella's Vineyard $48 95 1.98
 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast $52 95 1.83
 Siduri Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands Pisoni Vineyard $54 95 1.76
 Freeman Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast $44 94 1.72
 Loring Pinot Noir Paso Robles Russell Family Vineyard $45 94 1.68
 Loring Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands Rosella's Vineyard $45 94 1.68
 Loring Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Durell Vineyard $45 94 1.68
 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir California 4-Barrel $72 96 1.67
 Rochioli Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Little Hill $72 96 1.67

First off, notice that the highest WWP QPR is 2.12 which equates to "Very Good" value. It's nowhere near the 6.05 "Oustanding" the 97 point/$25 2009 Carlisle Sonoma County Sarah achieved. Keep that in mind as you're considering various offers. Although 2009 California Pinot Noir is a great vintage it's still difficult to get behind this category as being a value play.

Unless you compare it to Napa Cab. Whereas quality Napa Cab seems to start around $60 and goes up from there, most of these wines can be had in the $40 to $60 range. I love the flavor profile of California Pinot Noir so for me this is the most exciting region in wine right now.

Let's dive into some of these producers and specific wines for a moment. Is there an opportunity to buy these wines now? If not, is there an opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a mailing list that's going to be hard to get on in the future?

Let's start at the top - with Dehlinger. Their 2009 Goldridge Vineyard Pinot Noir is one of three wines on the cover of the October 15th issue. I hadn't heard of them until a friend in the neighborhood brought over a bottle of their Syrah to share. I was impressed with it and he graciously shared a couple bottles from his 2008 allocation. I thought their 2008 Estate Pinot Noir was outstanding, rating it 93 points. Spectator dropped a 95 point rating on it. They might not have been on everyone's radar screen until these 2009s though. Their website says they're 75% mailing list and you'll occasionally see them available at retail.

I wrote about the 2009 Failla (pronounced FAY-la) Keefer Ranch Pinot Noir last month. I'd go 93 points on it (to Spectator's 95) and encourage you to check them out if they're not on your radar screen yet. Again, mostly mailing list but some availability at retail if you look around.

I don't think any single producer is happier about Spectator's report than Brian Loring. His appellation wines priced at $29 provide real QPR-benders, and their $45 single vineyard bottlings snared slightly higher numbers which make their 2009s values across the board. Their mailing list has long been one of the most consumer-friendly around with compelling sample packs for new customers and until just recently free shipping. Their 2010 mailer arrived recently and if this batch of ratings for the 2009 confirms the quality they believed was present in those wines expect the 2010s to be spectacular. Get on their mailing list now before its too late.

In addition to A.P. Vin's 95 point bottling from Rosella's Vineyard (what high end CA Pinot producer doesn't produce wine from Rosella's?) they've got at least 8 single vineyard Pinots from the usual suspects (Keefer, Gary's, Ridgetop, Clos Pepe etc) rated between 91 and 95. Some decent availability at retail so keep an eye out for them and give 'em a try.

Kosta Browne continues to be one of the consistent producers of 95+ rated California Pinot Noir. They're very difficult to find at retail and if you do the prices are typically inflated. Considering their appellation wines are "only" $48 theirs is a mailing list to get on for sure. I just got an allocation this year after about a three year wait. It was worth it. Their 2009 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir and Sonoma Coast bottlings are both unbelievable wines. They seem to have found a way to reign in the alcohol levels some criticized them for while maintaining this velvety mouthfeel I find utterly amazing. Theirs are benchmark California Pinot Noirs.

Perhaps a more familiar brand given their production levels and the amount of time they've been around, Siduri once again did very well with this vintage. Although they don't own their own vineyards they do produce wines from all over California and even Oregon. I thought their 2009 Santa Lucia Highlands (an appellation to keep an eye on) was perhaps the most widely available, reasonably priced window into what this vintage is about. More on that here.

Freeman is a producer I'm sure I've tried but don't know much about. Not to be confused with Joseph Phelps' Freestone Pinot Noir label (add them to the list of frequently confused wine brands) they had 4 2009 Pinot Noirs which all received 90 points or better ranging from $44 to $54.

There's a fantastic article in the magazine about the history of Pinot Noir in California and Rochioli's vineyards are credited with being where it all began. Although their appellation bottlings can be found at retail their single vineyard wines are sold almost entirely by mailing list. Along with Dehlinger and Kosta Browne, their 2009 Rochioli Little Hill Pinot Noir graces the cover of the magazine. To taste their wines feels like it would be a taste into the history of the grape in the region. For that and other reasons (many speak highly of their wines) it's one to seek out.

Conclusion

Spectator's viewpoint is just one of many out there (some say Laube favors the high alcohol fruit bombs) but it's the one I have the most trust and experience with. Antonio Galloni has taken over tasting the wines of California from Robert Parker - which is actually a good thing in my view since the grape never seemed to be Parker's favorite. Some look to Allan Meadows (http://www.burghound.com) but his coverage of California Pinot Noir will always be a sideshow.

If you love domestic Pinot Noir like I do you'd enjoy The Pinot Report which focuses exclusively on the category. Definitely a resource to check out.

Or if you're looking for help finding wines all the critics agree on - and are values - check out The Wine Blue Book.

Soon I'll be writing about some of the best wines 2009 California Pinot Noir under $30. And writing up a tasting report of the wines I've tasted from the vintage. I'd love it if you subscribed to the Wellesley Wine Press so we can keep in touch.

Question of the Day: What do you think of the 2009 California Pinot Noir vintage? Which producers would you recommend checking out?


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WellesleyWinePress/~3/0qjTFsw1Eys/2009-california-pinot-noir-inside.html

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Questioning Authority: The Mia Klein Edition

Insight and education and entertainment does result from exploring the expertise of authorities in any given field. But sometimes, simply questioning the authority on more mundane matters can also deliver insight...and surprises. The "Questioning Authority" interview series on FERMENTATION is...

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/FermentationTheDailyWineBlog/~3/k40WBwa_FCc/questioning-authority-the-mia-klein-edition.html

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Perfection in a Bottle?

In the rolling hills of Tuscany the Frescobaldi family has been making wine for 30 generations and some 700 years.  Yet, it was only in 1995, when the family aligned with the Mondavi’s, America’s first wine family, that a cross-continental collaboration was borne in Montalcino, an area within the Tuscan region famous for its Brunello, a 100% Sangiovese wine.

Luce della Vite, meaning “Light of the Vine,” is the resulting winery even as gyrations in the Mondavi family business have blunted the initial collaboration of the two families in jointly creating a world class winery.  Now run exclusively by the Frescobaldi’s with investment from Michael Mondavi (and imported to the U.S. by Michael Mondavi’s Folio Wine Partners), their flagship wine, sourced from 29 DOCG certified acres, the 2006 Brunello di Montalcino, has been awarded a perfect 100-point score by James Suckling, former European Bureau Chief for Wine Spectator, now leading his own wine project at his eponymous web site.

This introduction would be apropos of nothing besides ornate wine writer affectations were it not necessary to create the milieu for what is an interesting convergence of issues in the wine world.

Encapsulated in this one wine, from an Italian wine family, formerly aligned with the scion of American wine and imported to the U.S. by his son and given a perfect 100-point score by a former critic with the Wine Spectator, many of the contemporary issues of the wine world can be examined and pondered…

Consider:

•  A 100-point score

Is there such a thing as a perfect wine?  I’ll leave the question open-ended while noting that my own scoring only goes to 99.  In the realm of subjectivity, can something like wine or art achieve perfection?

•  The fallibility of wine criticism

Stephen Tanzer, another notable wine critic, gave the same wine 92 points.  Wine Enthusiast scored it 93 points.  Robert Parker’s Italian wine critic (and recently anointed California reviewer), Antonio Galloni, gave it a 90.  While a 90, 92 or 93 is a good score, the difference between a 93 and a 100 certainly points to a margin spread that provides more questions than answers about the wine.

•  Crossing the digital divide

Suckling, ex-Wine Spectator, is out of the paper magazine business and running his own web site with subscriptions, a business that is less than a year old.  He has lived in Tuscany for a number of years and knows Brunello wines well.  However, anointing 100-point wines isn’t something critics do lightly or without thought.  So, when he declares that, “The 2006 vintage for Brunello di Montalcino is the new benchmark…” is he genuinely reviewing the vintage and the region’s most notable vintner or is this his attempt at market-making relevance akin to Robert Parker Jr.’s declaration of ’82 Bordeaux as “superb” when others weren’t as bullish?

•  Critical scores affect on inelastic pricing

While so-called “cult” wines get a bad rap based on their stylistic profile, the reality is that prices are high because of scarcity – more people want to buy it then there is wine available to buy.  Suckling’s 100-point score for the Luce Brunello is oft-repeated on numerous retailer web sites where the retail price has been raised from a suggested retail price of $89.99 to an average price of $127 based on Wine-Searcher.com data.  Meanwhile, the 2005 Luce Brunello is being discounted and has an average price of $84 based on Wine-searcher.com data.  It should be noted, that save for Suckling on the ’06, both wines were reviewed consistently with scores in the low 90s.

•  A global style

It’s interesting to note that Suckling’s tasting note for the Brunello called it, “…A wine with soul.”  Meanwhile Antonio Galloni noted, “The sheer concentration and depth of fruit are remarkable, but ultimately this comes across as a heavy, labored Brunello with limited finesse.”

So, which is it?  Is it a soulful wine or one with limited finesse?  The U.S. has the largest global appetite for Brunello with some reporting that upwards of 25% of all Brunelli produced is imported to the states.  Given that, is the Luce Brunello made to appeal to more of a fruit-forward palate that is often found in the U.S., a style of wine that Wine Spectator and Suckling have lauded in the wake of Robert Parker, the so-called, global style?

Summary

I’ll save the full review of the wine for my Forbes.com column…in the meantime, I’m reminded that the conversations about the people, personalities, ideas and issues in the wine world are often as interesting as what’s in the glass and that’s certainly the case with the 2006 Luce della Vite Brunello di Montalcino, a 100-points for interest and conversational fodder and less for the actual wine.  For me, that’s just perfect.

Source: http://goodgrape.com/index.php/site/perfection_in_a_bottle/

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