Random Rumblings on Wine (part 6.17459)

[David M. Bueker]

I've had a lot of screwcapped wines lately. Not one has been notably affected by reduction (take that John Gilman). That includes a half bottle of 2005 Strub Riesling Kabinett I opened a few weeks ago, so even 3 years of age had not brought out the dreaded reduction beast. I've only had two corked wines in the last month, so that percentage is lower than normal. Maybe the wine gods are smiling upon me.

The number of good prices on wine is exceeding my wallet even more than things did when wine prices were "normal" before the collapse of the dollar. I do feel a touch of guilt (I was brought up Catholic) in buying some of these screaming deals (e.g. Zind Humbrecht Goldert Muscat for $17), but not too much. I only hope that we don't lose too many small wineries or importers in the "post-recession" (snicker) shake out.

I'm going to a cull party tomorrow night, and I searched the cellar for culls...I really don't have any. That feels good. The key to this: know what you like & buy as good as you can afford from trusted merchants. There are a couple of likely heat damaged bottles & one wine I no longer like at all down there, but it was a tough search for cullable wines.

That last piece of advice does not preclude good value wines. Just buy the best good value wines you can afford as well. Vissoux Beaujolais is great QPR wine, and so is Donnhoff Kabinett. Cotes du Rhones have gotten so good that $15 buys great wine.

A few weeks later is an annual bottle of pain (bring something that it pains you to open) dinner. I'm not sure what will hurt more: the pain of opening the wine or the pain in my back from retrieving it from a double stack of boxes 5 high in a remote corner of my cellar. My advice: plan to build a much bigger (say 3x) cellar than you think you will ever need & then double that size!

Fall is here. I could really use a glass or Port. Do yourself a favor & have some Port & Sherry this fall/winter. In my opinion they are the most overlooked great wine types in the world. Laura and I had a little bit of the Taylor Fladgate 40 year old Tawny Port up in Canada this month & it was delicious. I had almost forgotten how much I like to drink Port. Something about it is so "civilized." It must be reminisces about things like empire building and armada crushing. Of course I jest, but not about Port.

I don't have enough Italian wine.

Can you have too much Burgundy?

When I come home after being away the first thing I reach for is German Riesling. It's good to go away, but it's great to be home.

I am sure with you on the Port question David. Have various LBVs from 94 onwards...Warres, Noval, Crasto. Intend to dig them out as soon as the snow falls....next week?

All too often I make what feels like a mistake, which is serving vintage port as the dessert wine after my usual white and three reds. At that point the high alcohol delivers a knockout punch that sends everyone straight to bed and often causes dehydration and waking up in the middle of the night. So much more civilized to do it as you suggest.

I agree about Italian wine and hope to do something to cure this by visiting Piedmont in the first week of November!

Also agreed, we cannot have too much Burgundy.

[David M. Bueker]

I often make the same mistake with Port. That's why more often than not I stick to Tawnies and LBVs that I can consume over a week or so.

Can you have too much Burgundy?

Perhaps I am out of the norm, but I have had many more disappointing Burgs than outstanding Burgs over the years, though the outstanding examples have been truly outstanding. My most recent disappointment was a horribly oxidized 1998 Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet. Though I would claim red Burgundy as my favorite wine, I buy very little of it due to the uneven character and crap shoot QPR.

[David M. Bueker]

Can you have too much Burgundy?

Perhaps I am out of the norm, but I have had many more disappointing Burgs than outstanding Burgs over the years, though the outstanding examples have been truly outstanding. My most recent disappointment was a horribly oxidized 1998 Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet. Though I would claim red Burgundy as my favorite wine, I buy very little of it due to the uneven character and crap shoot QPR.

Perhaps I should have said "Can you have too much red Burgundy?"

White Burg is not my specialty, and given the rampant premox issue it never will be.

As for disappointment, I learned at the feet of a Burgundy expert, so I do not make many random (and more likely to disappoint) picks.

Agree with you on so many points.
Just had a 2005 Hirsch Riesling from Austria in screwcap (will report on it later today or Monday.)
Always want more Burgundy and I need both more Italian and more Spanish wines. (I'm buying fewer Zinfandels these days and very little wine from Australia although both can be inexpensive.)
My Port preferences tend toward the drier 10 and 20-year tawny ports and Colheitas (although I enjoy an occasional taste of a vintage or late-bottled Port.) I should drink more Port. I remember having a Tawny Port with dessert at Farmhouse Inn in Forestville (Sonoma County) in October 2007 that just filled my head with visions of a genteel home library with lots of leatherbound books and a fire going in the fireplace and a comfortable armchair.

I plan to make inroads on some of my domestic Pinot Noirs this fall--I think they now outnumber the red Burgundies mainly due to availability and price issues. I have a Calera Mills in the lineup but want to open some Finger Lake wines before the cold weather sets in (pleasant days in the 70's, nights in the 50's F. now.)

I've had a lot of screwcapped wines lately. Not one has been notably affected by reduction (take that John Gilman). That includes a half bottle of 2005 Strub Riesling Kabinett I opened a few weeks ago, so even 3 years of age had not brought out the dreaded reduction beast. I've only had two corked wines in the last month, so that percentage is lower than normal. Maybe the wine gods are smiling upon me.

For me the issue with corked wines hasn't been the number - I think statistically I've encountered a lower percentage of corked wines than the 4-5% mark generally quoted (and now to hope the Scheurebe sitting in the fridge for tonight isn't corked), but most of the corked ones have been the real treats to look forward to - like that '98 Brucke you opened and that 01 Catoir (groaaaan) on Monday night.

That said, I'm liking screwcaps more and more - I've opened a handful of Aussie wines going back to 03 under screwcap and they've all been very nice. Some time in January I will open a bottle of 2003 Mount Langi Ghiran Riesling, a wine I bought a few bottles of a couple of years ago in Singapore and keep checking into around once a year to see how it's developing under its screwcap closure. The last occasion I had it, it was lovely with some hints of developed toasty and smoky notes starting to emerge. And no corked or reductive bottles from that lot either.

That last piece of advice does not preclude good value wines. Just buy the best good value wines you can afford as well. Vissoux Beaujolais is great QPR wine, and so is Donnhoff Kabinett. Cotes du Rhones have gotten so good that $15 buys great wine.

And I'll say for the umpteenth time in the last several months that I need to start trying a couple more Rhones, particularly 07s (despite all the fanfare I've heard about the vintage and the apparent number of killer CDR deals, I'm yet to try one).
That said I am surprised you list Donnhoff Kabinett as such a good QPR. Every time I've had the Leistenberg, I've found it tasty but not a standout at the price and for value for money I far prefer the basic Estate Riesling which I thought was really gorgeous in '05 and '07. For Kabinett I find the wines from Schaefer, Selbach-Oster or my personal favourite, Schmitt-Wagner (the 05 was rocking last week) equally good or better at lesser prices. That said - look out for '08 Leitz Klosterlay Kabinett if it hits the shelves at T&V.

Can you have too much Burgundy?

When I come home after being away the first thing I reach for is German Riesling. It's good to go away, but it's great to be home.

No. There can't be enough red Burgundy. (Yes, I'm a convert... good bye budget )
But few things make me happier than a really good Riesling or Scheurebe at the table for the sheer friendliness, diversity and versatility in those wines. I'm looking forward to opening one of them tonight.

[David M. Bueker]

Salil - I meant to type Donnhoff QbA & ended up with Donnhoff Kabinett. oops

For me the issue with corked wines hasn't been the number - I think statistically I've encountered a lower percentage of corked wines than the 4-5% mark generally quoted (and now to hope the Scheurebe sitting in the fridge for tonight isn't corked), but most of the corked ones have been the real treats to look forward to - like that '98 Brucke you opened and that 01 Catoir (groaaaan) on Monday night.

I agree, Salil, it seems to bite you on the worst bottles (e.g. magnum of '94 Dominus). My rate so far this year on 586 wines I've bothered to write notes for has been 17 corked bottles (with another 2-3 that others swore were corked but did not surpass the threshold for me personally). That is about 3%, which seems to me about on par or maybe down just a bit from previous years.

I should say that I've only had about 20-30 screw-capped wines this year, and no reduction problems for me with those that I can recall.

-Michael

David,

Your vote of confidence for red Burgundy has renewed my enthusiam for the wines. Thanks to you, I plan to serve a 1997 Domaine Leroy Clos de la Roche with dinner next Saturday. I'm putting the old disappointments behind me and trusting in you, David.

Perhaps I am out of the norm, but I have had many more disappointing Burgs than outstanding Burgs over the years, though the outstanding examples have been truly outstanding.

Ah, Sam. You ARE the norm.

That's precisely what breaks your heart (and of course, your wallet) about red Burgundies. The outstanding ones suck you in, then in the search for more you have to endure the so-so versions and the failures and, perhaps even worse, the almosts.

And when you reach the point where you're ready to swear off Burgundy forever, dammit if right about then one of those outstanding ones doesn't come along and get you started back on that road to ruin.

[David M. Bueker]

The overall level of Red Burgundy has risen over the last 10-15 years much as in other wine regions. Sure there are still disappointments, but I honestly believe that much of that comes from unrealistic expectations. Not every Burgundy is going to be a religious experience.

Not every Burgundy is going to be a religious experience.

David,

When I pay $100+ for a bottle I'm hoping for televangelism at the very least.

[David M. Bueker]

Not every Burgundy is going to be a religious experience.

David,

When I pay $100+ for a bottle I'm hoping for televangelism at the very least.

Well now at least we can discuss the overall context & expectations. Until you posted that I had no idea if you were talking Bourgogne or Bonnes Mares (except for your later Leroy reference).

I should have provided some context for my dissatisfaction. In general, I am quite satisfied with many Bourgogne and Village Cru. It tends to be the 1er and Grand Crus that disappoint.

[David M. Bueker]

I don't have a ton of experience with Grand Cru Burgundy, as I missed the "winedow" where one could buy them for less than a mortgage payment. That said I have had fabulous luck with premier cru wines, especially from producers like Chevillon, Truchot (sadly now retired), Jadot, Arnoux, Hudelot-Noellat and some others.

Improved winemaking, improved provenance and extreme selectivity have been helpful over the last several years.