Wanted - Brett and More Brett

[Bill Spohn]

From a discussion on another thread, Brettanomyces is like TCA - once you have experienced it, you are unlikely to forget it, unless you are one of the tasters insensitive to those experiences.

Can anyone suggest a perfect example of a Brett affected wine, preferably easily available now and reasonably priced, to act as an example for those who want to get a ranging shot for future reference?

I can suggest several older much more expensive bottles (several Beaucastels come to mind) but there must be something newer and less expensive.

The wine need not be available in Canada where I am, as this is not for me (I am very well acquainted with Brett) but for others not sure about what it is like.

[Tom Troiano]

There's some Ridge Zins and Coturri wines famous for it but they may not be in the marketplace now. I'm sure TomHill can fill us in on the specific bottles.

[Jenise]

Bill, got just the wine for you. 98 Meinert Merlot from South Africa. It goes right up close to the line of being too dirty without crossing it, and it's an attractive brett as bretts go. I rather like it. As a test, it wouldn't leave any doubt on the table.

As for cost: how's free? I can bring it when you schedule that La Frenz party.

[Paul B.]

Bill, that post title was catered just for me ...

I actually haven't had many bretty wines of late - I need to get back on the hunt for Brettanomyces. Jenise's example sounds particularly alluring, though I doubt it'd be a wine that's easy to find in Canada nowadays.

[Dale Williams]

Hmm, I've never thought brett was excessive - or even common- at Coturri. Would have thought the VA would have killed any brett!

[MtBakerDave]

I tasted through the Couturri line about a year ago. Man! What a funky bunch of wines! It's all unsulfited as I recall, and I thought the wines tasted more like science experiments than anything else. There was definitely a lot of stuff growing in there, but I don't recall thinking about brett. I DO recall a ton of VA though.

Someone is coming up to do a Couturri tasting for us in a couple weeks. It'll be interesting to re-taste.

Dave

[Dale Williams]

Good luck with the Coturri tasting!

Bill, Olga Raffault's Picasses Chinon generally has some noticable barnyard- not too much for me, but easily identifiable. Haven't had most recent vintages, but the 2001 & 2000 have brett.

Another factor of course is that there are multiple strains of brett, some find some strains tolerable and others abhorrent. Damn these humans!

[Bill Spohn]

Thanks, people.

That seems like a nice samp-ling of wines that are out there for anyone that wants to acquaint themselves with Brett - once you'd experienced it, I doubt you'll forget what it is like.

I'd class myself as a moderate tolerator of brett - I certainly don't seek it out, but I can take a reasonable amount. Any more and I suddenly turn off - and it smacks of unclean winemaking practices. Unless you are a masochist, I can't see enjoying the massive amounts you sometimes get in poorly made wines especially in the Rhone, but in many other places as well.

[Bob Parsons Alberta]

Jenise..La Frenz party!!!??Sounds interesting, wheres Bob McD?

[Bill Spohn]

Jenise..La Frenz party!!!??Sounds interesting, wheres Bob McD?

Just worked my way through all of the current release La Frenz whites.

Nice Viognier, good semillon, very interesting Riesling and the killer as far as I was concerned was the small lots Sauvignon Blanc - if you can get it, don't hesitate!!