Quality and Limited Production wines

I was in a much respected wine shop here in DC yesterday listening to a knowledgeable salesman who I trust. I was shopping for some Oregon Pinot for me and a 1997 Calif. Cab. for a friend of mine. The Cab was easy as there were not many 1997s available. Regarding the Pinot, however, the salesman said that, among other things, it was from a very limited production – well less than 200 cases. I bought the wine but not at all because of the limited production thing.

On the drive home, I was thinking to myself: Is there any correlation between limited production wines and quality? My gut feeling is ‘no’, but I really do not have enough data myself to answer this question with any certainty so I put the question out there to my fellow WLDGers. Any thoughts?

On the drive home, I was thinking to myself: Is there any correlation between limited production wines and quality? My gut feeling is ‘no’, but I really do not have enough data myself to answer this question with any certainty so I put the question out there to my fellow WLDGers. Any thoughts?

Complicated question. Depends how you define quality. For some, Yellow Tail is a high-quality product because each bottle does what it is supposed to do.

If quality means something along the lines of complicated or sophisticated (good luck defining those terms!), I would guess there is a moderate correlation. Small production wines are more likely to involve great care. Of course there is no causation, as small production wines can also suck because the winemaker does not know what he or she is doing.

Rahsaan hits it on both points.

I will note that in my experience, smaller production can be a hint a quality or vice versa but with this rule there are frequent exceptions. I was looking for a quote Fritz Maytag (Anchor Brewing, York Vineyards, etc.) made several years ago. I couldn't find the exact quote but to paraphrase there comes a point where the quantity of production compromises quality but it's hard to say where the point is. Again Rahsaan's point #2.

IMO there used to be a reasonable correlation but with stack of exceptions on either side of the equation.

Now I'd say the correlation has weakened slightly due to marketing types latching onto it to present artifical 'small batch' wines to promote the idea of the handmade 'best of the best' or others jumping on the terroir bandwagon as a way of increasing perceived value/quality. Not every single vineyard is 'special'.

regards
Ian

It's a spurious correlation.

The only time you can be sure Limited Production (or Reserve or Single Vineyard or Not Distributed) means anything is in marketing. "This wine is special" or "It's your only chance to get it." Doesn't mean it's not good, of course, it's just not the reason to buy.

Certain producers that I respect have limited the quantity they produce because they feel the quality would suffer if they are over-extended. (Like a chef with one great restaurant who opens four more and the standards are not maintained equally at all sites.) Gary Farrell sold his eponymous winery because it was getting too corporate for his tastes, and is now making and selling wines under the Alysian label. But of course small production is not a guarantee of qualtiy.
BTW, what was the Pinot?

BTW, what was the Pinot?

The 2008 Toluca Lane, JC.

I don't believe that one can look at the production of a single wine and make a determination of quality if that is all that is known. Lots of stuff out there made in small quantities that is just not that good. Also its hard to relate limited production to more attention paid to the winemaking. Small production could require that the winemaker have a real job and the result would be less attention not more. Or as happens, one winemaker makes wine for multiple wineries so even it all three are limited production but made by one guy they may not get any more attention than a larger production wine.

I was thinking that I had tasted a Toluca Lane Pinot Noir before--maybe at a tasting at Elliott's on Linden, Pinehurst, but no, a search showed that you brought the 2007 Toluca Lane Pinot to our offline at Samos, Baltimore. I really liked it. Good choice, Jon.

I think our tastes are generally on the same track, JC. My experience tells me that if you like a wine, then it's a pretty darn good wine (or a PDG wine in govspeak).

Today we've been picking Pinot Blanc on 2 hectares of grapeland. Half the grapes have fouled away because of mold, which means a real limited amount of wine this year. Not to talk about the quality. Hopefully it stays dry now that Sauvignon Blanc and Blauer Wildbacher will be saved from the mold.