Wines you thought you disliked but discovered are actually good

Matt King’s recent Trying to Love Wines You Don’t Like thread has focused on wines people don’t like. Let me pose his question in a slightly different, more positive way:
What wines had your written off until you revisited them and changed your mind?

As I posted in the other thread, I want to revisit Alsatians wines after some good experiences with fully dry whites and some non-gloppy vendages tardives. I’d pretty much written off Alsace 20 years ago when even many of the base bottlings began to be off-dry and low in acid.

I’d also written off California pinots until I began tasting some of the new wave of less ripe, candy-free bottlings from a new generation of winemakers.

I’m curious if other people have had a change of heart and opened up to types of wines they’d never liked or had given up on.

Dry white Bordeaux.

I had tried a lot of them (including Haut Brion blanc) and none anything for me until an entirely thrilling bottle of 1979 Domaine de Chevalier blanc.

I still think that’s the exception which proves the rule though.

Or just evidence that the best require a lot of aging?

Used to stay away from sweeter wines in general, but have enjoyed several Vouvray Moelleux from Huet and Foureau lately.

Enjoyed a young (but promising) 2015 Domaine Huet Le Mont Moelleux yesterday, that showed great balance of sweetness from baked pineapples to apricots and freshness of quince and ginger, with zingy acidity. Would love to check back in with the wine after 10-15 years.

Napa Cab.

After drinking shiraz a long time ago, i was reluctant to delve into napa cab for the reports of overpriced goopy grape drank. Much to my surprise, cabs from the mountain ava’s like Veeder, Howell and such were right up my well balanced alley!

that’s what everyone kept telling me. I guess 20 years wasn’t enough and they need around 35.

Pinot.
My early experiences with it were the sweeter grocery store wines and I found little to like.
Than on a trip to Napa, after sampling painfully young Napa Cabs all day, we began to order Pinot at dinner. We had some wonderful Sonoma Pinots on that trip. We enjoy exploring all the styles of it across the globe. Pinot is now one of the wines I seek to fill the cellar.

This is easy – pradikat Riesling. In my early wine days, I too often drank wines away from the table as “cocktail” wines. Thus German off-dry wines always struck me having too much residual sugar and being a bit cloying. Three things happened – I discovered better producers, bottles with more age and pairing with spicy Asian-themed dishes. Now I really enjoy the weight and mouthfeel of a quality spatlese.

Nice and positive, huh?

BTW, the spirit of the other thread wasn’t to stir up tired arguments about blueberry-shake Aussie syrahs. Thinking carefully about what wines you don’t like, and WHY, can help you better identify the traits you do value in wine. It also can be reassuring to get some good ole validation – as in, “Am I the only one who secretly can’t stand white wine from Chave?”

Barolo. I always believed that Barbaresco was a better wine. Of course my sample size was incredibly small. I had always bought the PdB Riservas which I loved. My exposure to Barolo through the early 2000s was from my friend’s cellars, so it was a lot of Scavino, Parusso, Azelia and Seghesio.

Night Train

I never change my mind. I am always right the first time.

Dominque Laurent’s wines. Seriously.

I’m still flirting with Nebbiolo, but also still waiting for you and KenV to recommend some more ringers!

I have a few mature ones coming in shortly . . . . So, your “Italian street cred” is on the line.

You didn’t steer me wrong on cheap Northern Rhones!

How mature? Given your other wine preferences, I suggest trying an older Marcarini Brunate or La Serra or G. Mascarello (any single vineyard, not just Monprivato). On the scale of things, you could “splurge” (pretty reasonable pricing) on Marcarini 64, 67, 68, 71, 74, 78, 82, 83, 85. Or did you already try this?

Dry white Bordeaux definitely although I can drink them a little younger than Jay if forced to. My recollection is a 94 Domaine de Chevalier at around age 6 or 7 was the epiphany. Before that, I thought they were relatively flabby oaky liquified coconut creamsicles. The best example I’ve ever had was almost 40 years old when I tried it. A friend’s amazing bottle of ‘64 Laville.

I used to write off Spanish reds outside of Rioja until a recent “rediscovery” of 100% Monastrell wines from Jumilla. As someone who avoids fruit bombs like the plague, I’m finding these wines to be surprisingly elegant and structured for their 14ish% abvs. Stellar qpr as many Nice bottles can be had for around $10.

It was at one of your birthday dinners where I tried that 1979 DDC blanc.

Aren’t all wines available to drink younger than Jay? Wouldn’t any wines older than Jay have to be in amphora?

+1,
My early exposure to Barolo was all producers who used small oak, someone told me barolo needed lots of time in the cellar, the only truly aged wines I could find were Borgogno which were easily obtained in vintages as far back as the 50s, I still didnt get it (they all tasted like gumboots to me)

I agree! The reputation of unbalanced oaky wine was actually exaggerated. With age these round out fine for me…