Thoughts as we swiftly approach Christmas and then the end of 2020...
I tried another producer’s Sauvignon Blanc last week. I keep trying to be open to the grape, but nope. It was a good wine. It was very well made. Don’t like it.
With a fresh foot of snow on the ground, it feels like winter. Temps are way down, so stew/chili/soup season is in full swing. The beefy dishes are easy. Zinfandel, Chateauneuf, Cabernet and Syrah (for starters). It’s the preps such as potato leek or white bean and kale that make me ponder. So I experiment, and try various dry Rieslings, some Chardonnay, or lighter reds such as Beaujolais or Loire Cabernet Franc. Not much really clicks. Even the ultra versatile Grüner Veltliner struggles. Still searching.
I have not tasted a wide enough sample to make a definitive assessment, but I am finding a lot of struck flint/matchstick in Oregon Chardonnays. Goodfellow, Vincent, Division Wine Co. have all had it, and not a small amount. I asked a few winemakers about it, but haven’t gotten any particularly revealing responses so far. It’s not some heavy sulphur regimen, but I am not sure what it is.
The latest “shiny object” in geek circles seems to be the Rieslings of Hofgut Falkenstein in the Saar. Very well made wines at welcoming prices certainly makes them attractive. The bright acidity in virtually all the bottlings I have tried to date also matches current fashion. Lots of dry and off dry (feinherb) wines, so the trend towards drier is also checked off. I am definitely a fan, but don’t see the hype. There isn’t a qualitative gap to account for it. So why are the wines selling out as if they are some cult item? I don’t understand.
I need to go shovel a path to the bird feeders.