Random rumblings on wine, part 8675309

[David M. Bueker]

There are too many good wines out there to be able to cover the field in the cellar. I check my stock, and see that there’s not enough Rioja. There’s not enough Chinon. Cornas is in short supply. Stocks of Alsatian and Austrian wines are not what they should be. Unfortunately there’s precious little room for any more of anything.

There’s always room for Champagne! I wonder why that is. Must be some magic in those little bubbles that allows a bottle to fit into an otherwise occupied space. Strangely enough, magnums seem to take up less space than regular bottles. Go figure.

Seventeen years into seriously buying wine and the rewards of cellaring are just starting to become apparent. At least some of the kabinetts are ready. Burgs are still a long way off. Bordeaux may have to be left to someone else’s kids. I’m thinking of bequeathing the Port to the crew of the starship Enterprise.

“Fun” wine is better than “great” wine. Discuss.

Over the years I have moved through various phases in my wine appreciation, but I keep coming back to a small group of wines that set continue to thrill my taste buds nearly every time I drink them. Ridge Lytton Springs (and nearly as often Geyserville), Donnhoff’s Hermannshohle Rieslings, Pegau Chateauneuf du Pape, Champagnes from Bollinger, Billiot and Krug, Trimbach Riesling CFE, Edmunds St. John Syrah (pick a vineyard…any vineyard), Jadot’s Beaune Clos des Ursules 1er Cru, Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Schlossberg Rieslings, Truchot (oh how I wish I had gotten on that bandwagon earlier, but thanks anyway Maureen – better late than never), Maximin Grunhaus, Leitz and Lopez de Heredia spring to mind right now. I know I am forgetting some, but some things just get a hold of me, and don’t let go.

I wonder what the next fad will be. Natural wines, for all their flaws (definitional and sometimes microbiological) have been beneficial in re-setting the playing field to a degree. No longer is bigger always better. The recent trend seems to be “bright makes right”, and as a fan of acidity in my wines I approve of that.

Be honest, you thought Neuburger was something you ordered at a German sports bar to go with your beer.

[Robin Garr]

“Fun” wine is better than “great” wine. Discuss.

We had a Chevillon Bourgogne Passetoutgrain the other night that was fun. It might have been more fun than a Grand Cru would have been. We were happy, and pretty much put the bottle to the Thunderbird test. Is that what you meant?

[David M. Bueker]

“Fun” wine is better than “great” wine. Discuss.

We had a Chevillon Bourgogne Passetoutgrain the other night that was fun. It might have been more fun than a Grand Cru would have been. We were happy, and pretty much put the bottle to the Thunderbird test. Is that what you meant?

Could be. I've been to many events where great wies were a lot of fun, but also been to too many where it was like some holy service where the consumption of gems was treated more like a funeral than a celebration.

That's never a problem with a bunch of tasty Beaujolais. Well...almost never.

I don't get how fun and great have to be mutually exclusive. Don't think many would argue that the 2001 Catoir Scheurebe Spatlese last night wouldn't fit both categories.

(Neither would, say, anything from Egon Muller or Willi Schaefer, Allemand Chaillot, Chartogne-Taillet Fiacre, Baudry Croix Boissee or Vatan Clos la Neore to name a few randomly.)

[David M. Bueker]

Salil,

Think of the wine monoliths. Is Lafite fun? DRC?

I do believe the definition of "great" wine is changing, and that's all to the good.

Salil,

Think of the wine monoliths. Is Lafite fun? DRC?

I do believe the definition of "great" wine is changing, and that's all to the good.

David,
I know what you mean and a quick look at my recent notes is clear evidence.
(Salil knows too, he just wants to roil the waters.)
For me, it's been 40 years of wining and the best thing about that is the "user friendly" list I have accumulated (much as you have). Now, anywhere I go, I can find something that Diane and I will enjoy - at a reasonable price.

My cellar, once bursting with well over 100 cases is down to about 20 cases. Most days, I drink what I make or something from "the list."
Or maybe something a friend has made.
It's a rather nice alternative.

Although, a palette of Donnhoff wouldn't be a bad thing to have.
Best, Jim

As always, a very cogent closing comment,Jim Re fun wines, had that experience last week, I enjoyed a Caffaro Petit Syrah and a Montes Alpha Cab a heck of lot more than I did a Leoville Barton Bordeaux..The LB was nice, don't get me wrong, but there was no wow or fun involved.

“Fun” wine is better than “great” wine. Discuss.

We had a Chevillon Bourgogne Passetoutgrain the other night that was fun. It might have been more fun than a Grand Cru would have been. We were happy, and pretty much put the bottle to the Thunderbird test. Is that what you meant?

That essay subject strikes a chord with me. And I think that the same subject could be set for another passion of mine, classical music.

I don't want a great wine every day but it the right context it can be an unsurpassed experience. In the wrong context or with unsuitable pairings, potentially great wines can be completely wasted. By contrast, fun wines like two I have had this week, a plain 2011 Beaujolais and a Baudry Chinon Granges 2010, are always welcome. By coincidence, perhaps, most fun wines seem also to be both young and affordable.

One of the problems of reduced wine buying as a result of a full cellar is that the proportion of fun wines to hand is in decline, without any increase in opportunities for opening ageing potentially great bottles.

Likewise in classical music, I only occasionally feel to strength to hear, say, Beethoven's 9th symphony, the archetype IMO of great music. However fun music, like Bizet's Carmen albeit with its serious streak or Lehar's Merry Widow, is more often welcome though it can pall if heard too often. I enjoy jazz too but am much less knowledgeable about it; most seems to me to fall into the fun category.

I agree with Salil that "fun" and "great are not mutually exclusive, although those that are both are usually quite pricey. For example, based on experience with earlier vintages, that Baudry Chinon could acquire some interesting seriousness and complexity in 5+ years without losing its fun aspect and would become even more outstanding QPR.

Again the same applies to music, most notably Mozart's, where even in his greatest music the fun element is always apparent, except perhaps in his Requiem.

Wine ratings seem to concentrate almost exclusively on greatness potential. Another reason for dispensing with them?

Thankfully nobody has, I think, rated classical compositions but they do rate performances. Music competitions are a great bugbear of mine and we are at present being subjected in Belgium to the Concours Reine Elisabeth, which is a violin competition this year. I am suppressing a rant against it with great difficulty .

[David M. Bueker]

One of the problems of reduced wine buying as a result of a full cellar is that the proportion of fun wines to hand is in decline, without any increase in opportunities for opening ageing potentially great bottles.

Full agreement there.