Anyone taste a bretty Zin lately?

In all the years I've been into wine, I can't ever recall trying - or reading about - a bretty Zinfandel. Are there any out there today? I would think that among the many wineries out in California, there must be at least one that has some brett action going on.

Based on the findings, I'm going to cross check and see if any such examples might be available at Vintages.

Thanks in advance.

topolos in some years.

[Robin Garr]

topolos in some years.

Does Coturri make a Zin? They're notorious for winery sanitation, I believe.

I also had a bretty Zin from Fife once, served by the wine maker's bride, the notorious Karen MacNeil, who was embarrassed to tears and probably would have denied it was bretty if she could have gotten away with it.

But frankly, even though I have no objection to discreet brett in old world wines, the idea of a bretty Zin seems faintly absurd.

I recently had a 99 Ridge Lytton Springs that sported some surprising bretty notes--it contributed to a claret-like impression. I'll post the complete note in a separate thread.

Michael

[David M. Bueker]

Coturri's problem was never really brett. It's VA.

[David M. Bueker]

Brett is also notoriously a bottle by bottle phenomenon unless it's a really bad case of brett, so targeting buying a bretty wine is problematic at best.

And please explain why you would want to intentionally purchase a flawed wine?

And please explain why you would want to intentionally purchase a flawed wine?

That one's easy: I actually like a little brett in reds from time to time, and don't think of it as an outright flaw unless that's all there is on the nose. Depends very much on one's tolerance level for given aromas; e.g. I dislike any hint of TCA (a flaw no doubt), but a bit o' brett I can handle with poise.

[David M. Bueker]

That makes sense. I have a decent tolerance for brett as well, but asking for "bretty" wines will more than likely get you information on wines dominated by it.

I recently had a 99 Ridge Lytton Springs that sported some surprising bretty notes--it contributed to a claret-like impression.

Thanks Michael. That's exactly what I was thinking about - i.e. how a bit of Brett can transform the nose of a Zin and make it a bit more Old-Worldy, if you will.

What is the difference between a brett taste and barn yard. I was talking to a winemaker about making the local barbera. He was saying that the wine will go into reduction (reactions without oxygen) if there is not enough barrel transfer (oxygenation) and the result is barnyard. I wonder if brett and barn yard are confused. Correct one sees brett in syrahs and not much in zinfandels. There are two wineries I frequent that have brett. I asked a third about a slight brett taste in a zin and the winemaker said the brett came in used barrels they bought from Opus.

Brett – aka horse, stables, sweaty-saddle, and barnyard.

Salute