Fri 26 Jan 2007
On Wednesday, Tom Wark at “Fermentation: The Daily Wine Blog” — http://www.fermentation.typepad.com — referred to a recent article in Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar newsletter in which Tanzer, a highly respected and astute wine reviewer and commentator on the wine industry, said that he thought that alcohol levels in California wines were coming down.
It would be good if that tendency were true. High alcohol levels, the result of long hang times for the grapes so they achieve a sort of monster ripeness, have produced a whole generation of hot, sweet, unwieldy and one-dimensional wines. We have seen alcohol levels soar to 14.5 percent, 15 percent, 15.5 percent, not only for zinfandels, many of which have a reputation for hugeness, but for cabernet sauvignon, syrah, petite sirah and even pinot noir. Even white wines commonly now top out at 14.5 percent alcohol. The notion that a wine ought to be balanced, that a wine ought to reveal integration of all it essential qualities seems to have been forgotten. The typical alcohol levels of the past — about 11.5 to 13.5 percent — now seem almost naive.
So if Tanzer, who tastes thousands of wines a year, is correct, I would rejoice.
But look at the alcohol levels of these wines that I plucked from my shelves and the refrigerator this morning:
*Logan Sleepy Hollow Vineyard Chardonnay 2005, Monterey County: 14.7 percent.
*Tablas Creek Grenache Blanc 2004, Paso Robles: 15.3 percent.
*Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon 2003, Napa Valley: 14.7 percent.
*St. Clement Oroppas Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, Napa Valley: 15.6 percent. (For a cabernet!)
*Mazzocco Stone Ranch Zinfandel 2004, Alexander Valley: 16.9 percent.
Not exactly a representative sample, perhaps, but enough to tell me not to hold my breath until alcohol levels in California wines really start to tumble.
On the other hand, it’s unfair to dismiss these wines merely because of the alcohol content. I’ll try them and post another entry in a few days to tell you how they perform.
January 26th, 2007 at 11:44 am
Say goodbye to your liver, old chap.
January 26th, 2007 at 6:40 pm
Good-bye, farewell, auf wiedersehen, adieu.
January 27th, 2007 at 3:27 pm
The liver comment reminds me of a quote I heard in reference to a mutual friend I hadn’t seen in a long time. The individual in question was said to be “filtering the world’s supply of tequila through his kidneys”.
Back on topic, while I don’t mind Port or brandy after dinner with some cheese, I don’t necessarily like a high alcohol flavor or content with the rest of dinner–it too easily overtakes the flavor of the food. And anyway, good producers of fortified wines work hard to achieve a proper balance (with acknowledgment that the process is different from straight winemaking, but I think the point stands).
January 28th, 2007 at 12:17 am
I had a Staglin Family 2003 last night with dinner (Yes. I am a total idiot for buying wines at that price level on a modest civil servant salary, but…) 15% alcohol ABV!!!! It was a monster of a wine-kinda caramelly, but at least more balanced and complex than the Tamber Bey.
On the other hand, a wine shop in Berkeley was pouring a cab from a tiny new producer sourcing his grapes from Alexander Valley-13%. (Hobo Wine Company). And, there was a crowd of us gathereed around the pourer comment on the desire to find these earthier, herbier, even greener wines.
The owner has led a very interesting life: http://www.hobowines.com/about.html
Stiull, in chatting with yet another shop owner, he commented that it remains hard to sell the more restrained, austere wines. He admitted he can’t stock one of my favoritew producers, Joe Cafaro, because the wines are simply not fruit and caramel bombs.