What's your approach to posting TNs here?

Why do you post TNs or Not? Pick whatever options apply.

  • 1. Don’t feel I can convey what I tasted accurately or with interest.
  • 2. Don’t have the time or motivation.
  • 3. I’ve got my own blog and don’t want to share my intellectual property.
  • 4. I get all of the TNs I need from CT and only post there.
  • 5. There are already too many crappy TNs here.
  • 6. I’ll leave the note writting to the more prolific & interesting writters like Jeremy Holms.
  • 7. I’m more interested in Asylm and Politics sections than wine.
  • 8. People don’t comment on my TNs so a waste of my time.
  • 9. I don’t post on anything, only lurk.
  • 10. None of the above, see my comments.
  • 11. I’d like to see more TNs here.
  • 12. All of the above.

0 voters

It seems like there are several members who never post TNs here. Or, it may be that many only rarely post a TN when a wine highly disapoints or totally amazes? I tend to post a TN here when a wine really impresses me and sometimes when majorly disapointed too.

So take the poll and comment. Would you like to see more TNs? I would.

Craig,
I find it very odd that the poll has approx. 11 different reasons/motivations behind NOT posting notes, but zero (or one?) FOR posting notes. I don’t normally comment on the inadequacy of a poll, as I feel that it’s nearly impossible to formulate a perfect poll – especially as the options expand beyond a binary nature – but this poll is horrible. The thread title – “What’s your approach to posting TN’s here” – doesn’t match the poll choices; same thing with the poll question – “Why do you post TN’s or not?” Your poll gives no room for voting to those who do post TN’s here, except the “None of the above” option. You only give options for the “not” part of the poll question.

I’d strongly recommend starting this poll over, with better choices (wider range, and less repetition of why NOT to post TN’s) … OR, rename the poll something like “Why do you NOT post TN’s here?”.

FWIW, I voted for options 10 and 11.

Horrible poll, though; seroiusly, this might be the most flawed poll I’ve ever seen posted. Sorry, Craig, but that’s just my honest take on this.

Brian, you’re totally right. I really had “why not” more in mind when I put it together and the title should have reflected that. You are right, why people DO post TNs would have been equally interesting. I blew it. I can’t alter the Poll question itself without starting over completely and deleting the thread.

The reason I DO post, is that I get really excited about a wine I either love or hate and can’t wait to share my enthusiasm. Just like seeing a movie you either hate or loved. Sometimes I delay a post on a wine while I go out and buy some more first if its in short supply or a bargain. Kind of silly to wait though as my opinon is totally unlikely to move demand :slight_smile:

I post for duty and humanity.

Also, I can refer to my notes in the future by simply doing a search.
That’s a reason I’m pissed that the Squires Board changed.
I had a lot of notes on that Board… (and I refuse to be blackmailed into subscribing)

TTT

Paul for purely your own purposes like, when to drink again, isn’t CT more usefull?

perhaps…

TTT

Putting a wine to words truthfully and completely is, for me anyway, an often impossible task. Especially with great bottles, I find that giving a wine it’s due respect using the English language is exceedingly difficult - to the point that the mind tries too hard to find just the right words to describe what is being smelled, tasted, and felt rather that simply letting the enjoyment and emotion overtake it, which is far easier and much more enjoyable.

I tend to drink American made wines,since there is little or no intrest on this board for them I don’t bother.

I was pretty interested in all the Arnot-Roberts & Wind Gap notes we’ve seen here recently. I wish there were more. I get a ton out of reading them from Frank’s lengthy descriptions to Noel’s dinners to people who just share a sentence or two.

For what it’s worth, I’d like to see more TNs for American wines, especially not the same old producers that always get recycled.

Brian - I’m confused. How do you feel about the poll? True or false? neener

But as to the original question Craig - I rarely post them anywhere so I guess I’m one of those you’re referring to. Why is that?

First, I don’t like to write about wines that I represent, or that someone has asked me to represent, or that are made by friends if I don’t love the wine. I’ll tell someone that I think his or her wine is too oaky or acidic or whatever, but I don’t want to publish that, even tho it’s not like anyone is likely to care.

Second, the only notes I have that are complete are those I write up at home. When I go to a trade-type tasting and go through dozens of wines, I’m not going to post my 15 second impressions. Some people do but mostly people who aren’t in the business. Personally, I think it’s unfair all the way around. Moreover, if you taste thousands of wines in a year, it’s way too much effort to post those quick impressions just to be able to say “hey, look at all the wine I tasted”.

Third, as for the notes I have at home, why would anyone else want to read those? Sometimes they’re nasty, sometimes enthusiastic, but they’re just to remind me what I thought about a wine. If I write a few impressions, I can somehow remember things better. A score will only tell me thumbs up or down; it won’t give me anything to recreate the experience.

Here is a TN that someone sent me. He didn’t tell me who it is from and just sent it as an example of a new-wave social media TNs as opposed to something from a professional critic. I hope it’s not from anyone here and I apologize in advance if it offends anyone.

"dark ruby color; appealing, baked berry, baked plum, violets nose; delicious, violets, berry, baked berry, baked plum palate; medium-plus finish 92+"

When people refer to violets, I hope they’ve actually gotten down on their hands and knees and smelled them. I have, just to see if the Ports and all the other wines so described actually smell like violets. They don’t really. I’ve candied violets sometimes for pastries too, so I guess I know a little bit about how they taste. But baked berries? I guess it means pie? Or jam? I get the idea that there’s a lot of cooked fruit involved - not sure if that’s good or bad, but whatever. 92 so I guess the writer liked it.

Here’s a TN from a professional:

“The 2003 XXX . . .spent 24 months in 80% French and 20% American oak (approximately 30% new). Its sweet bouquet of licorice, blackberry liqueur, new saddle leather, spice box, and white pepper is followed by an inky/purple-colored Shiraz with huge body, superb concentration, admirable acidity, and a long, 60-second finish. Young and unevolved, it should hit its peak in 2-3 years, and keep for two decades. This is one of the most brilliantly run wineries in Australia and the quality of the entire portfolio is impressive . . .” 94 points

This professional note is even worse. What the hell is “spice box” anyway? Is that like “Asian spice”, which is one of the dumbest terms out there? And do you notice that the description is all about the nose?

So how does it actually taste?

Well, it tastes “concentrated”.

And it has admirable acidity. Oh, and it’s purple. Surprise. It was only 2 years old at the time.

Is that a useful TN? I don’t know. Not to me. Maybe to tell you the wine had a long life. But regarding that, I would respectfully disagree. Here’s my TN from last night on the very same wine, 7 years after the note above was written:

Smells really jammy and fruity with a touch of wood on nose. Not overly woody though, more like a hint of vanilla over the big fruit that promises a classic Shiraz. Too bad it’s dry, bitter, and dead. Nose promises big fruit, but all that’s left is that hint of wood on dark and bitter juice with an acidic finish. The acid is almost an afterthought and you wonder where the hell it came from. The non-existent fruit? If only. It would be nice if there were any fruit at all. One of the most f’d up wines in months. 78

So there’s a TN. You really want to read more of those? I hardly think so.

You are not alone.

To echo what several folks have said and add my $.02 (and I haven’t yet looked at the poll). I find it very hard to translate the totality of the experience of tasting a wine into words, plus I find that I actually have to sort of mentally and physically “clear the decks” to have the context within which I can really explore a wine enough to write a good tasting note. Plus, I find posting here more than a bit intimidating given all the well-written TNs from folks hereabouts!

So, what motivates me to record a tasting note for myself is an extraordinary wine that gets me excited, and one for which I had the time and space to really taste the wine. Then, if and only if the note is well-written (within my skills), would I dare to post it here, so I post few TNs but really enjoy reading the excellent TNs of others!

Paul, couldn’t you get a buddy who’s still on eBob to login and download all your TNs to a spreadsheet, then you could upload them to your CT (which has a download to WB function). Kind of going around your ass to scratch your elbow but in the end you’d (we’d!) have non-squirrely access to all your notes!

[berserker.gif]

trying to post both here and in CT but I don’t write notes on every wine I drink. Trying to do better though

Craig, CT is where I look for TN’s. In general, why duplicate. I do like when someone posts a TN here with a point of view (this really outperformed expectations, or this was different than the predominate TN). Also, I like the folks who are fun writers, Jeremy is a good example.
Separately, GregT’s point on social media writers is a good one. I knew who wrote the TN without even checking. For me, TN’s like the example used proved virtually no information. You can’t even tell if they liked the wine or not. I tend to like the TN’s that show emotional response - I liked it a LOT, or I hated it.

Guys- of all the TN’s associated with threads on the front page of Wine Talk approximately half are American wines, half are from France and there is minimal input on Italy, Germany and Spain. No southern hemisphere at all. No Portugal. I think there is a ton of interest on American wine.

That’s why I said you are not alone, but you can never have enough of a good thing, and I also agree that it would be interesting to see more coverage of the rest of the New World.

I honestly don’t know anybody who is a member of eBob (they are a dying breed…)
I would think it would be a monumental job copying all my tasting notes and adapting them to a spreadsheet.

Are you volunteering??? [berserker.gif]

TTT

I get most excited about wines not discussed here much (Madeira and Port) and so do my TN posting on another forum (For The Love Of Port).