WTN: Havens Merlot, Prima Voce Tuscan Merlot

after opening a bottle of 2004 Ridge Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon which even my TCA-insensitive palate would agree was badly corked , we turned to a bottle of 2005 Havens Napa Valley Merlot which I had stashed away. Woof...this was pretty funky for a Napa wine. In a good way, but I LIKE some Brett, so...but this was right at the edge of funkyness. There was plenty of plum fruit, some smokey oak, good acidity. A very nice wine. wshich, despite the brett, was finished by us all! RIP.

Then, we pulled a bottle of 2004 Arceno Prima Voce IGT Toscano off the shelf. it had been orphaned for a couple of years. 85% Merlot, 15% Cab. All Italian! This bottle rocked...had fantastic black color, dark plum fruit, plenty of tobacco, great acid, fantastic tangyness that would make you swear this was Sangiovese-based. Very, very good. No more available at Wine Styles, but I know the local Italian Deli has more bottle(s) of this.

Interestingly enough....Kendall Jackson owns this house. http://online-wine-tour.com/?p=28

I know he owns an evil big corporation but I tend to find many of Kendall-Jackson's smaller properties right up my alley palate wise. Am I mistaken?

[Jenise]

Yikes about the brett! I've detected that on some Havens wines in recent years, but presumed that was due to poor storage on the part of the friend who gave me the wines. Hope the two cases of 06 that were delivered to me yesterday are free of it; I'm very low tolerance for that. Don't like it one bit. Rhone funk yes, but the kind of stinky brett that invades domestic wines is just stink that occludes, rather than enhances, what should be in the bottle.

Rhone funk yes, but the kind of stinky brett that invades domestic wines is just stink that occludes, rather than enhances, what should be in the bottle.

So generally speaking you find brett from the Rhone to be weaker/less offensive than brett from CA?

Surely there is a range in the strength of brett in all regions?

Rhone funk yes, but the kind of stinky brett that invades domestic wines is just stink that occludes, rather than enhances, what should be in the bottle.

So generally speaking you find brett from the Rhone to be weaker/less offensive than brett from CA?

Surely there is a range in the strength of brett in all regions?

But there are multiple strains of Brett, so maybe a different culture of Brett in CA than in the S Rhone.

Mark Lipton

[Jenise]

Rhone funk yes, but the kind of stinky brett that invades domestic wines is just stink that occludes, rather than enhances, what should be in the bottle.

So generally speaking you find brett from the Rhone to be weaker/less offensive than brett from CA?

Surely there is a range in the strength of brett in all regions?

Yes of course there is, and I've found some Rhone examples I haven't liked much either. But there, especially with some age, perhaps some integration occurs. On a young American wine, though, it doesn't happen that way. I just get stink where the fruit should be.