WTN: Some Wines of Balance..(long/boring)

We tasted tonight (4/18/12) Some Wines of Balance:
1. Domaine Georges Vernay Viognier LaPied de Samson Vin de Pays des CollinesRhodaniennes 2010: Med.gold color;
rather attractive floral/peach/pear/Viog/delicate some classic Condrieu fragrant nose; very tart/lean/thin
slight earthy/metallic quite light peach/pear/Viog little flavor; med.short tart/thin/lean/eviscerated/austere/
acidic finish w/ very long/lingering pear/peach/Viog/Condrieu/delicate aftertaste; classic hole-in-the-middle
wine; rather attractive nose but not delivers on the palate; even the magic name Vernay can't save it;
overpriced at $31.50 (WoP) RPBS: 43
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2. Dom. de Vedilhan Viognier Narbonne/Pays d'Oc (13.5%) 2010: Med.dark gold color; slight earthy/mineral rather honeyed/
Roussanne-like/floral slight peach/pear/Viog very attractive/perfumed nose; soft slight earthy/mineral honeyed/
honeysuckle/Roussanne-like slight peach/pear/Viog flavor; med.long earthy/mineral honeyed/Roussanne fairly rich/lush
slight peach/pear/Viog finish; not the lean/austere Viog that usually find from Pays d'Oc; quite a lovely wine
that seems more like Roussanne than Viognier; great wine for $10.00 (PMW) RPBS: 56
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3. Benedicte et Stephane Tissot Chard AC: Arbois (13.5%) Montigny-les-Arsures/Jura 2010: Light gold color; strong appley/
melony/chalky/mineral some spicy/baked apple/apple pie spice quite attractive nose; tart chalky/mineral spicy/apple/
melon baked apple/apple pie spicy ripe flavor; long chalky/mineral/earthy strong apple/melon/Chard baked apple rich/
tart finish; a very unusual (for Jura) but very attractive Chard; the purity of Chard fruit resembles the TablasCreek
Chard; $29.00 (PMW) RPBS: 83
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4. WindGap Chard JamesBerryVnyd/PasoRobles (13.8%; 8 brls/194 cs; #992) 2010: Med.gold color; very attractive fragrant/
perfumed melony/Chard/spicy purity of fruit lovely/aromatic nose; tart fairly rich very spicy/appley/melony/Chard quite
aromatic lovely flavor; very long/lingering very spicy/appley/Chard/melony quite beautiful finish; probably the best
Paso Chards I've ever had; a purity of fruit uncluttered by any obvious oak; very good price at $25.00 RPBS: 86
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5. Donkey&Goat GrenacheRose Isabel'sCuvee GibsonRanch/Mendocino (U; 13.7%; 95 yr old GrenacheGris) 2011: Pale salmon/
copper bit browning/murky color; rather earthy strawberry/Grenache fairly perfumed/fragrant nose; tart bit tannic/hard/
bitey rather earthy/Grenache/strawberry slightly clunky/coarse flavor; long strawberry/Grenache/earthy bit tannic/
hard finish; bit on the earthy/coarse side and not that bright; quite likeable rose at a good price. $15.50 RPBS: 61
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6. BedrockWineCo Ode to Lulu Rose of Mourvedre SonomaVlly (12.3%; Vines planted in 1888-1922; 60% BedrockVnyd/
31% PaganiRanch/9% AnnadelVnyd Grenache) 2011: Very pale copper color; beautiful very fragrant/perfumed/spicy bit
herbal bright cranberry/spicy lovely nose; tart/austere/lean verry/very spicy/cranberry slight herbal bright/zippy/
laser-sharp slight earthy/dusty very refreshing flavor; very long very spicy/cranberry/bright slight herbal/rosemary
beautiful lingering finish; a simply georgeous rose; this is how they'd make rose in Provence if they could; very
good price at $18.00 RPBS: 92
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7. WindGap Syrah SonomaCoast (15 brls/345 cs; 12.6%; #1417) 2009: Med.dark color; beautiful strawberry/Syrah high-toned/
floral very Rhonish/smokey/pungent/roasted very spicy/cinammon quite StJoseph-like beautiful/aromatic nose; tart
beautiful Rhonish/smokey/roasted/pungent bright/floral/strawberry/Syrah light toasty/oak flavor w/ modest tannins;
very long pungent/roasted/smokey/Rhonish quite floral/violets/strawberry finish w/ bit of a hard/tannic bite; needs
several yrs; much like the Graillot Crozes of old; loads of roasted/Rhonish character; fairly priced at $36.00 RPBS: 86
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8. Arnot-Roberts Syrah ClaryRanch/SonomaCoast/PetalumaGap (3 brls; 12.2%) 2010: Very dark color; strong very dusty rather
peppery/cold-climate/cracked black pepper some Rhonish/roasted some strawberry/Syrah/floral very spicy nose; very tart
rather lean/hard quite Rhonish/smokey very cold-climate/cracked black pepper rather tannic flavor; very long hard/tannic
very strong cracked black pepper/cold-climate some floral/Syrah/strawberry/violets finish; lots of cold-climate Syrah
character and needs 3-6 yrs of age. $40.00 RPBS: 47
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9. Arnot-Roberts Syrah AlderSpringsVnyd/MendocinoCnty (5 brls; 12%) 2010: Very dark color; strong ripe blackberry/
boysenberry/Syrah bit herbal/earthy/dusty almost Cab-like bit smokey/pungent rather perfumed/aromatic nose; painfully
acid/screechy/tart somewhat herbal/Cab-like some blackberry/Syrah some earthy/dusty light toasty/oak flavor w/ hard/
unyielding tannins; long rather hard/tannic quite acid/screechy some blackcurranty/Cab-like/herbal light blackberry/Syrah
light toasty/oak finish; pretty hard/tannic/angular on the palate but some interesting things in the nose; bit pricey
at $55.00 RPBS: 17
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10. Arnot-Roberts Syrah Griffin'sLairVnyd/PetalumaGap/SonomaCoast (4 brls; 12.5%) 2010: Dark color; beautiful blackberry/
boysenberry/ripe/Syrah/spicy some peppery/cold-climate rather smokey/pungent/oak fairly complex nose; fairly tart spicy/
blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah/ripe somewhat peppery/licorice/pungent/LasMadres-like light toasty/oak rather tannic/hard
flavor; long strong ripe/blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah/licorice bit peppery/pungent rather tannic/hard quite interesting
finish; needs 3-7 yrs of age; the most typical/mainstream of the A-R Syrahs. $55.00 RPBS: 38
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The uusual BloodyPulpit:
1. Wines of Balance: This is a term coined as a knee-jerk reaction to the high-alcohol levels in some Calif wines,
particularly PinotNoirs. Somm Raj Parr is maybe the primary proponent of this movement, featuring tastings of
wines, primarily PinotNoir and Chard, that are more "balanced". Two yrs ago, there was a seminar up in Sebastapol
before RhoneRangers that featured Syrahs of Balance. However, IMHO, the term "wines of balance" has become nothing
but a code word for wines of lower alcohol. This is not that difficult to achieve. You just harvest grapes from
vnyds that exist in very cold areas, or you simply harvest the grapes earlier, at lower sugar levels (assuming you
are focused on making "natural" wines, w/o watering back or RO). It's all pretty simple.
But alcohol in only one component of "balance" in a wine. You can find wines that are lower in alcohol, yet still
display a hot/fumey/overripe character. You can find wines that are low in alcohol but have such a strident/screechy
acidity that "balance" is the last thing they represent. The Ridge Jimsomare '09 is a seamless/well-constructed/
polished Zinfandel that is the epitome of "balance". Crissakes...it's 15.7%...how can you call that a wine of
"balance"?? You can find Syrahs that are low in alcohol, yet have such tannic/extraction levels that "balance" is
the last thing that comes to mind. True, (maybe) with age they will come into "balance".
Anyway, wines of "balance", like "natural", are damnably tough to define. Unless you arbitrarily define them,
as RajParr does, as wines below a xx.xx% level of alcohol. This tableau of wines was assembled to be such a
collection of wines of "balance", featuring some wineries who make a great hoo-haw of making wines of "balance".
The scores placed on the wines are the RajParr 100-pt scale of "balance", with 100 being a wine in perfect
balance and 0 being a wine whose balance is so out of whack it's undrinkable. Unlike Monktown attourneys, I am
insufficiently prescient at predicting the RPBS at peak drinkability; so these scores only apply to the wines
at this current point in time.
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2. Roses: The D&G was made from very old-vine GrenacheGris. To get any color; they must have left the skins on for
the full fermentation. This probably gave the wine the slight tannic bite it showed. Nonetheless, I thought it
a quite nice rose.
The Bedrock was mightly impressive; one of the best roses I've had in a long time. It had an incredible
cranberry spiciness to it that made it very refreshing to quaff in large quantities; a classic rose.
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3. Syrahs: I have found some of these Syrahs of Balance to be unpleasantly out of balance for current drinking;
but certain to come into balance w/ btl age. So I was expecting this group of Syrahs to not be greatly appreciated
by my group. However, they were, by and large, well-received. The WindGap was the clear favorite, closely followed
by the A-R ClaryRanch. The AlderSprings was a bit of a puzzle to me. It's a very highly regarded vnyd by winemakers.
Yet I don't quite share that enthusiasm. Most of the AlderSprings Syrahs I've had I thought pretty good...but I've yet
to have one that blows me away. They seem to not have a lot of bright fruit, a certain herbal/earthy/Cab-like
quality to the; a bit of forest-floor. It's a vnyd I'd like to walk sometime and get to know better.
Tom

Hi Tom,
Thanks so much for the great TN and thanks for giving me a possible theme for my next wine group’s tasting! The concept of “balanced” wines has been around a long time, and like you stated there are many definitions out there, and a “definitive” definition of a “balanced” wine would be difficult to come by. Like everything else, when it comes to wine- what it comes down too is a very “personally” level. Heck besides what you pointed out, depending upon the style or type of wine you are enjoying “balance” of the structurally components might be the “last thing” you look for. Personally as you pointed out just focusing on a single component (alcohol content) when looking to see if a wine is “balanced” is foolish. I just saw an interview with Raj Parr and he said that in determining if the wine is in “balance” he looks for three factors- (1) purity (of identity); (2) persistence; and (3) energy. In another interview he referred to “balance” as “harmonious” (IMHO a much more better concept to grasp). He compared a “balanced wine to a symphony where the notes (structurally components of a wine –alcohol, acid, and tannin (I personally would add all dry extracts including RS and things like “primary” (those derived from the fruit), “secondary” (those derived from the process of fermentation both yeast and bacteria) and ‘bouquet” (those derived from aging) aromas and flavors to that list) do not have to be (level) or identical notes but could be (unleveled) different notes (some high some low), but as a whole they create a compete symphony.

I have a question regarding the 100-point balance scale. I understand that 100 means the wine is in “complete balance” or “perfect balance”. Does this mean that there is no possibility of “improvement”? Or is it just “downhill” from here? Zero means the wine is totally out of “balance” and I would assume there is no possibility of “improvement” So any “cellar-worthy” wine should score only “average” upon release or when young on this 100-point balance scale. (What would we consider average on this balance scale – 50, 65 or 80?)

Salute

Hi Tom,
Thanks so much for the great TN and thanks for giving me a possible theme for my next wine group’s tasting! The concept of “balanced” wines has been around a long time, and like you stated there are many definitions out there, and a “definitive” definition of a “balanced” wine would be difficult to come by. Like everything else, when it comes to wine- what it comes down too is a very “personally” level. Heck besides what you pointed out, depending upon the style or type of wine you are enjoying “balance” of the structurally components might be the “last thing” you look for. Personally as you pointed out just focusing on a single component (alcohol content) when looking to see if a wine is “balanced” is foolish.
I just saw an interview with Raj Parr and he said that in determining if the wine is in “balance” he looks for three factors- (1) purity (of identity); (2) persistence; and (3) energy.

Hmmmm....I have no idea what he's talking about on that one. But, then, he's a MW and I'm just a nobody, so probably I'll never know what that means.

In another interview he referred to “balance” as “harmonious” (IMHO a much more better concept to grasp). He compared a “balanced wine to a symphony where the notes (structurally components of a wine –alcohol, acid, and tannin (I personally would add all dry extracts including RS and things like “primary” (those derived from the fruit), “secondary” (those derived from the process of fermentation both yeast and bacteria) and ‘bouquet” (those derived from aging) aromas and flavors to that list) do not have to be (level) or identical notes but could be (unleveled) different notes (some high some low), but as a whole they create a compete symphony.

Well...that one makes a little more sense, I guess. So....wonder what his RPBS would be for AaronCopland vs. CharlesIves played by the BostonPops???

I have a question regarding the 100-point balance scale. I understand that 100 means the wine is in “complete balance” or “perfect balance”. Does this mean that there is no possibility of “improvement”? Or is it just “downhill” from here? Zero means the wine is totally out of “balance” and I would assume there is no possibility of “improvement” So any “cellar-worthy” wine should score only “average” upon release or when young on this 100-point balance scale. (What would we consider average on this balance scale – 50, 65 or 80?)
Salute

Uhhhhhhhh....Victor.... the RPBS is a hoax. I'm just poking fun at scores on wine. The RPBS (RajParrBalanceScore...or...RobertParkerBullShit) is just a thinly-veiled (I thought, anyway) parody of the 100 pt score
on wines (be it the RobertParker 100-pt scale or the far more accurate WineSpectator 100-pt scale). Just funnin' you all. Sorry you got snookered.
Some of the so-called "wines of balance"...meaning lower alcohol wines.... have a screechy acidity to them and hard tannins...like the A-R AlderSprings above. But I have comfort in some of them (not all) that they'll
come more into balance with additional bottle age. Others...like SteveEdmunds' or BobLindquist's or PaulDraper's wines....are in very good balance right out the gate. I think that A-R AlderSprings Syrah will be a very good wine...maybe
even balanced...w/ some time in the btl. In addition to acidity and tannins (for reds), I find that "balance" is also an important factor in wines that age well...often overlooked. Wines, like the Qupe Syrahs, are very balance
upon release....buut they also seem to age amazingly well.
Tom

The Bedrock Ode to Lulu has become an annual purchase for us..Thanks for the explanation re RPBS, which just as easily cd have been RajParr BS..Having read as many of your posts as possible over the years, I thought I had missed something along the way and was poised to ask what the heck RPBS was???

Uhhhhhhhh.... Victor.... the RPBS is a hoax.

I’ve seen plenty of “modified” scoring systems, (geared more to winemaking and not so much as appreciation) which focus on just the “balance” and “quality” of the wine. Basically these “modified scales” make you focus on things like acidity, alcohol, sugar, and tannin or astringency. They might ask you to rate things simply as high, moderate or low. (A notation for alcohol which includes things like “high” and “hot” might indicate an “unbalanced” wine, a notation for alcohol which includes things like “moderate” and a "nice warming” sensation might indicate a wine with “balanced” alcohol).

Salute

[David M. Bueker]

Interesting notes Tom.

I generally like Wind Gap wines, but have struggled with a distinct soy character in Pax's Syrahs.

Love the Arnot-Roberts Clary Ranch Syrah (see recent note posted here).

Interesting notes Tom.

I generally like Wind Gap wines, but have struggled with a distinct soy character in Pax's Syrahs.

Love the Arnot-Roberts Clary Ranch Syrah (see recent note posted here).

Yup....saw your post and thought or take on the wine pretty similar.
I, of course,....sniff/sniff...didn't order the Chard or the Cab.
Tom

[David M. Bueker]

I only ordered the A-R Cab that came in magnum (Vare Vineyard).

After tasting a few of the A-R wines I have realized that I need to get many, many more.

Hi Tom -

Thank you for the notes. I've seen that Donkey and Goat Rose around before, and had no idea that it was made from Grenache Gris.