I love sous bois, moss, dirt, mushrooms, decaying leaves, pine sap, and even camphor. What wine have you opened that made you feel like you were standing in a forest? My best contenders were a 1988 Catherine et Pierre Breton Chinon, 1996 Domaine Tollot-Beaut Corton-Bressandes, and a 2003 Rudolf Fürst Centgrafenberg Spätburgunder “R”.
Recently a 2008 Produttori Barbaresco ‘Pora’, had beautiful notes of pine, wintergreen, sage etc. I also felt that way about a recent Sagrantino from Paolo Bea though I can’t recall which it was. When I think of decaying leaves, mushroom, moss, I see those often in older Pinot and Nebbiolo. Camphor on the other hand I’ve smelled in a wider range of varieties; Sean Thackrey is known for the distinct bay/eucalyptus notes in his reds.
Dried leaves forest floor is often present in older Maximin Grunhaus Riesling.
I often get a really piney note from Loire Valley Pineau d’Aunis wines…so try a few of those.
Thanks. Just snagged a bottle of 2001 Von Schubert Maximin Grünhäuser Abtsberg Riesling Auslese. How old is older? CT has a drinking window of 2008 - 2022–which doesn’t sound right.
Never even heard of this grape–but it sounds awesome. Looking forward to trying them. Thanks.
More like 2032-2048.
2006 Cantalupo Ghemme Breclemae, a wine that I love for this reason.
Retsina…if you really want pine sap.
A lot of Oregon Pinot Noir’s that have some age on them can have a forest floor element.
In the line-up of wines that I frequent, it would be a mature bottle of Olga Raffault Chinon Les Picasses. Breton is an excellent second choice. Had some 91-93 vintages last year, will search the notes to refresh my memory on which cuvee.
Some of the Santa Cruz Mountains wines show redwood forest floor well, especially in the Ben Lomond AVA. The best example is the McHenry PNs. Down the road the Coast Grade Vyd. has it when producers don’t muck it up. With the same unfortunate producer caveat, Chards, such as from the Bald Mountain Vyd. can show it. There’s also a local native shrub that shows in a lot of SCM wines throughout the region.
I recall having a 2011 or 2012 “Thea’s Selection” from Lemelson in 2015 that already had that forest floor element. I was pleasantly surprised, given the age and the fact that it is an entry-level bottling. No idea if other Oregon entry-level offerings mimic that quality.
Certainly some older red burgundies have it in spades.
One of the Checkerboard Cabernets (possibly the Aurora or Coyote Creek) had a very noticeable pine note. When questioned, the rep said that vineyard was surrounded by evergreen trees.
For me, the defining characteristics of Pineau d’Aunis are celery seed and white pepper. I’ll have to look for pineyness in the next one I open.
Thanks. I do current vintages stashed away–but haven’t dared open one yet. I bought so much Burgundy chasing these notes–when I think I should have been buying more Loire.
If you like eucalyptus forest smells, sometimes Heitz cabs show that. As can Maipo Valley cabs from Chile.
We once had a 78 Heitz ‘Block C’ cab that could have triggered a koala bear infestation.