|
|
|
|
On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 12:30:02 +0000 (UTC),
(D. Gerasimatos) wrote:
>In article >,
>jcoulter > wrote:
>>
>>Just one momre time, how does knowing the varietal in Chateauneuf du Pape
>>tell the average consumer anything? They know that there are a bunch of
>>grapes, but unless they really know CDP they probably wouldn't know several
>>of the vareitals listed as to being red or white. Varietal info just isn't
>>helpful in preview a blended traditional French wine
>
>
>Well, I am an average consumer and it would tell me whether the wine was
>based on syrah, mourvedre, grenache, or something else. I consider this
>'something' and also 'helpful'.
True, but would it help you appreciate the wine, or even give you an
idea of what it tasted like? A cepage might give you a rough idea,
but terroir and winemaking practices can make a huge difference.
I recently tasted the d'Arenberg Bonsai Vine 2001 and the Lost Valley
Shiraz 2002. Infanticide, I know.
Both have the cepage on the front label. The Bonsai Vine is 70%
Grenache, 25% Shiraz and 5% Mourvedre, whereas the Lost Valley is 100%
Shiraz.
Both were tasted blind (though the identity of the bottles was known
to me) and the Bonsai Vine was consistently identified as the varietal
Shiraz. This was from an experienced group who have been tasting
together for over 10 years and who have experienced a lot of Aussie
Shirazes and Aussie Rhone blends from most of the vintages from the
1990 on. We have also drunk a lot of Chester Osborne's wines and know
that d'Arenberg wines are often huge fruit-bombs.
The cepage gave no idea of what the wine was going to be like.
The terroir would have helped a bit, the Bonsai is McLaren Vale and
the Lost Valley (though bottled as Central Victoria) is in the (not
yet recognised) Upper Goulburn Valley.
The best guide to the taste experience was probably the fact that one
had d'Arenberg on the label and one didn't. Winemaker's house style
overcame all else.
I like to see the cepage somewhere, but as far as I'm concerned, the
back label is fine. I'm not so lazy as to be unable to turn a bottle
round. Certainly from a UK supermarket POV the current trend in the
less than GBP 10 a bottle range is towards branded wines with the
brand being given huge prominance over any description of the
contents, whether sub-country regional or varietal.
James
James Dempster (remove nospam to reply by email)
You know you've had a good night
when you wake up
and someone's outlining you in chalk.
|