Eccentric Wines The world seems filled with eccentric wines these days. In the past few days, I had the well-intentioned Russell Briggs' New Zealand wines, a Brian Loring Pinot Noir and Clarendon Hills! One great thing about big-ass Shiraz' is they never seem overwhelmed by sulphur. It is the one element in this wine category where the winemakers seem to show restraint. Brian Loring is a very nice guy who sent me all five of his 2002 bottlings. I've now had two of these eccentric wines and I can't say they are to my taste. People accuse Brian of not understanding Pinot Noir and not understanding Burgundy, but this is nonsense. Brian is looking to make another wine category, that has nothing in common with Burgundy or historic Pinot Noir. If people enjoy the wine, all power to them! Frankly, I think they would be better served by the Zinfandel and Shiraz's in the same category -- why not start from bigger material when making this style of beverage? Is this wine a valid style of Pinot Noir? Is big-ass Shiraz a valid style of Syrah? I often find myself at gatherings of wine lovers where people talk about Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernets, etc, as if there is an international family. That a Pinot Noir from Brian Loring is part of the same family as La Tache, etc. But honestly, isn't this pushing the analogy and accepting New World winemaking on its own terms? Delta Blues and Heavy Metal are both related to the African music that came here with the slaves. So, is a heavy metal freak someone who just happens to like their Delta Blues in a more up-front, guitar-forward musical style than a Delta Blues fan? Frankly, I'm sick of the variety as defining the wine. A New Zealand Pinot Noir made with yeast treatments and spoofed up is not the same as a Pinot Noir from California on Steroids in tons of new wood and is not the same as La Tache which is not the same as well-made Bourgogne Rouge. Yes, there is a far-flung genetic bind, but given that everything from the root stock to the climate to the geology to the winemaking to the cultural expectations is so divergent, why pretend that these wines come form the same 'family." Each of these wines is a distinct category and it is only confusing and silly to pretend they are similar wines. This is not to beautify Burgundy, which has its own set of problems. But comparing a varied and rich Pinot Noir landscape at the limits of maturity with 15 to 16 degree UC Davis Pinot Noir Clones in sand is just not useful. Clarity and specificity are always helpful. |
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