WTN: Thoughts on eliminating potentially premoxed bottles

In my new Norman house, space for wine storage is confined to 3 wine fridges housing approximately 280 bottles each, so I have decided not to waste space on some ageing, mainly 1996, and potentially premoxed white Burgundies. However, rather than simply pour them down the sink, I will prepare them for serving with a suitable dish keeping a bottle of something more reliable in reserve. If upon opening premox is revealed, then the sink it will be. I will keep a tally of the about 14 bottles concerned, so as to record the incidence of pox (or is it just normal “ox”?) at about age 18.

Puligny-Montracher Combottes 1996 – Sauzet showed a noticeably brown tint together with marked sherry and honey flavours. Down the sink!

The next bottle –

Chassagne-Montrachet 1er cru Morgeot 1996 – Gagnard-Delangrange

was much less clear cut case because it made me realise that I have forgotten what mature white Burgundy from a “clean” vintage should taste like. The last of my delicious small stash of 1992s, mainly from Pierre Morey, were finished in the mid-00s. Did they show a similarly deepening yellow, marked nutty notes and a certain rich portiness on the finish, such as found here? I confess to enjoying this wine for its complex floral aromas mingled with minerals and nuts and its quite full and rich burnished palate with lively acidity and a firm vinosity in that finish like that found in some port or full bodied mature Champagne. I think the slope is downwards now but any oxidation creeping in can hardly be called premature. Still very good.

Such is the consciousness of the premox phenomenon, that some wine geeks may now worried about being caught out not having spotted it, just like with brett, VA and TCA. I admit to liking brett and VA in moderation as well as mild oxidative notes which add to complexity of the wine being tasted and refuse join in the trigger happy rejection of wines exhibiting such traces. (TCA is a different matter but I am not amongst the most sensitive to its presence when mild. However, I acknowledge that the “best” taster in a gathering who declares corkiness which others haven’t noticed is often proved right by the opening of a second and better bottle.)

[David M. Bueker]

If you enjoyed that's good enough. 18 years is a good bit of age.

The premox phenomenon has made certain wines that have always been made in an oxidative style (e.g. Bollinger) subject to claims of over the hill or premoxed at an early age when they always tasted that way!

Last night's experiment was -

Puligny-Montrachet Clos de la Pucelle 1996 Domaine Jean Chartron.

My first impression when opening about an hour before dinner was that this bottle was OK mainly because of the absence of tell-tale sherry odours. At table, however, it was odd but maybe not (prem)oxed. Colour already seemed darker. The subdued nose was minty and reminded me of tooth paste. The palate was stronger in acidity than the Chassagne and had an excessively bitter after-taste. As suggested by some people on the UK board I've put it back in the fridge to see what happens. (There is a theory coming from Jasper Morris than some bottles recover after being open in a fridge for a day or so. I'm sceptical.) I substituted a delicious Cour-Cheverny but that's another story.

Incidentally we can get wonderful fresh fish here in Normandy. Yesterday's was some St.Pierre and Barbue (translations?) to die for bought at Lisieux market.

By the way, Fontaine-Gagnard is a producer whose wines I feel have almost no aging capability. So my strategy, once I realized that, was to go through the few bottles I had as quickly as possible. I think that out of 5-6 bottles from 2006, only one was any good circa 2012/3.

I found the following on the US importer's site:

"The style of the wines at Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard is for intense, racy, deep and complex Chassagnes that start out life classically balanced and accessible, but always with fine expressions of terroir and the underlying structure to age gracefully as well. "

So much self delusion in one sentence.

By the way, Fontaine-Gagnard is a producer whose wines I feel have almost no aging capability. So my strategy, once I realized that, was to go through the few bottles I had as quickly as possible. I think that out of 5-6 bottles from 2006, only one was any good circa 2012/3.

I found the following on the US importer's site:

"The style of the wines at Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard is for intense, racy, deep and complex Chassagnes that start out life classically balanced and accessible, but always with fine expressions of terroir and the underlying structure to age gracefully as well. "

So much self delusion in one sentence.

Chaim, thanks for that insight on Fontaine-Gagnard. This bottle is about my only experience of the estate but I wouldn't say that it had aged badly given that it was 18 years old.

The premox phenomenon has made certain wines that have always been made in an oxidative style (e.g. Bollinger) subject to claims of over the hill or premoxed at an early age when they always tasted that way!

I particularly had Bolly in mind when I made that comparison with Champagne.

Two further notes on potentially premoxed bottles.

June 3, 2014

Report after two days in the fridge of the opened and recorked bottle -

Puligny-Montrachet Clos de la Pucelle 1996 Domaine Jean Chartron

Neither the colour nor the nose had changed much but the after-taste which I had found excessively bitter and a touch cloying was now frankly sherry-like.

No recovery then. But I never thought that this was a premox victim, just ordinary "ox" from age compounded now by having been open two days.

I have two more bottles left. It will be interesting to observe if they are different.

June 6, 2014

Chablis 1er cru Fourchaume 1996 - Domaine Chantemerle, A&F Boudin.

Deepening gold and a nose combining sherry and stewed cabbage. It went straight down the sink before I remembered the request to keep opened bottles of premoxed Burg in the fridge to see what happened.

Ironically I bought a dozen of this wine, because on a visit to the estate in 1998 or 1999 Boudin senior came up to me saying "would you like a taste of something which you may not have had before?". It was Fourchaume 1979 and absolutely delicious and I vowed to have some 20 year old of my own to drink in the mid 2010s. I gave away some bottles and the first badly premoxed one was about 5 years ago but about 3 years ago I had another one that was definitely drinkable if not equal to my memory of that 1979. I have four left, I think .

P.S. Jasper Morris commented on my post on the above Chablis on the UK board. In particular, he asked whether the cork was firm or spongy; in the latter case (which was in fact the case) he thought recovery in the glass would be impossible.

Hi Tim.
I think it is great that you can conduct such an experiment! Besides making an evaluation of the condition of the cork I think a reference to “fill level” and the presene of sediment in the bottle is equally important.

Salute

Meursault Les Narvaux 1996 - Patrick Javillier -Alc.13%

After most of the 96s I've been wading through, this bottle came as a real relief. A first glance at the colour (light/medium gold) and sniff at the nose (white fruit and lightly spicy flowers with cedar undertones) told me that this bottle was OK and we drank it with dinner (asparagus wrapped in ham followed by goat cheese). Body was quite full and was supported by a saline acid spine which made the wine seem still quite youthful. Round this played the aromas from the nose together with a round undertow with burnished apple pie notes. At first, entry and mid palate seemed a little hollow but filled in with food and there still seems to be a slight disjoint between the acid and burnished elements but less than I noted about 6 years ago. Nevertheless in spite of these niggles, very good.

PS: firm dry cork and good fill.

Had a badly oxidized 2006 Chante Allouette on the weekend in the garden. No way a traditional white Hermitage would do that. Tha plague seems to be spreading.

Was only able to withstand the disappointment by opeining an 82 and 88 Gloria!

Had a badly oxidized 2006 Chante Allouette on the weekend in the garden. No way a traditional white Hermitage would do that. Tha plague seems to be spreading.

Was only able to withstand the disappointment by opeining an 82 and 88 Gloria!

I think that what's happening is that Chardonnay acted as the canary in the coal mine for the p'ox. In recent years, p'ox has been noted in Trimbach Rieslings and, lately, Huet Vouvrays. These wines, made from more acidic varieties, probably took longer to show the effects of whatever is responsible for the p'ox, but now that the cat's out of the bag we'll see more and more examples, perhaps even in some red wines.

perhaps even in some red wines.

Say it isn't so........

That was my fall back - 'safe' reds!

Saint-Aubin 1er cru "En Montceau" 1998 - Marc Colin - Alc.13%

This wine was not premoxed but it had not aged very well; perhaps it was over optimistic to expect anything else from a lesser Côte d'Or commune in a mediocre vintage. Colour was light gold. The nose, like a recent Puligny from Jean Chartron showed notes of mint but not much else. The palate was quite rich but disjointed with burnished, mineral, buttery and cedary elements all playing their tunes separately and the after-taste cloyed. I should have drunk all these bottles 10 years ago when I remember them as very enjoyable.

Perhaps an extenuating circumstance was that the al fresco seafood meal did not suit it and I substituted a delicious Val d'Aostan Petite Arvine from Château Feuillet which was perfect.

PS - Firm, dry cork and good fill.

Chablis 1er cru Fourchaume 1996 - Domaine Chantemerle, A&F Boudin.

Quite different from the June 6 bottle. Colour was much lighter - deep yellow/light gold. The nose was reticent at first but gentle floral aromas and stony minerals emerged. The palate stood up to oysters though the finish was too rich, honeyed and complex to be ideal. Still very good.

Puligny-Montrachet 1er cru Les Combettes 1996 - Étienne Sauzet.

Much better than the bottle about which I posted on May 31. Colour was light gold and nose initially subdued, then showing cedar notes which were quickly covered by white fruit and minerals. The medium/full and mouth-filling palate was quite evolved but not unduly so for 18 years and mingled the notes from the nose with still lively acidity, slightly sweet hints and a firm, dare I say, rather tannic finish. Good.

PS: level was good and cork was quite firm and dry but beginning to crumble a the bottom.