My first try of this producer, and sadly, I didn’t get good one. The reason that I even mention this unremarkable occurrence to you fine board members is because this is the first corked bottle I’ve had in the last 324 bottles (of all types) I’ve opened, according to CT. I suspect that’s not a bad rate for most.
What say you?
Chris
I’ve opened three corked bottles in just the last few weeks. 2008 Sojourn pinot noir Sangiacomo, 2008 Fontanafredda Barbera Briccotondo, and 2009 Seghesio Zinfandel. All corked in a huge way. Lucky you.
TCA sensitivity is highly variable among tasters. I know plenty of wine lovers that only recognize highly contaminated bottles, while some tasters recognize none at all. Sadly, I’m highly sensitive.
I’m medium – my wife is better at finding the TCA, though she can overpredict as well (she sometimes thinks old world wines with some green and funk to them are corked). But those three I mentioned were about as overtly corked as it ever gets, particularly the Seghesio and the Sojourn.
Yes, I’ve definitely considered that I’m insensitive, but I have no way to test that. I guess it’s the right level of sensitivity for minimal dumping. ![[scratch.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/4/42a16863a8714da3c1604419e3eb9206bb87aa50.gif "scratch"){kind=small}
However, of those 324 prior bottles, 323 were probably shared with my wife who also never mentioned anything off. Lucky us, huh?
Don’t give up on this producer. I’ve had a lot of the vina tondonia, both red and blanco, and it is always a great experience… except when it’s corked, which i’ve never come across. TCA detection isn’t a pissing contest, but it’s true that some poeple just don’t pick it up as much. I had a wine last week that was terribly corked. Two of us couldn’t stand it, while the other one tried and tried, and finally picked up a little, but maybe that was just mental.
I guess you’re lucky, but if you have trouble detecting TCA, this could also mean that a few of those bottles you guys wrote off as thin or weak could’ve been tainted. Whatever the case, go back to this producer and this wine whenever you can!
I hate seeing corked reports on wines I own. I have had a few corked wines this year- but my rate of failure seems lower this year than previous years as well… and nothing special so far (knock on wood).
I don’t remember the specific wine- but one of my first multi-bottle bordeaux buys had a corked rate of 5/6- and horrrrribly corked at that. So, unfortunately it can come in bunches if there is a bad batch of corks or a whole batch tainted.
Lucky indeed!!
Did you ever consider that by blurting this out you have massively jinxed yourself!! You are going to now have a boat-load of corked wines to tell us about.
Enjoy the ride!!
Thanks Jim. Kind of like saying, “This kid is a lock from the line. His FT% is stratospheric, baby!”
What a pit! It’s such a great wine (haven’t had that year, but the '05–sans reserva–is wonderful).
Here in La Rioja, Spain, the wine we drink comes with cork and have no problems
google translation, sorry I do not speak English
That is a shame Chris.
Of the various recent Cubillas, Bosconia Reservas and Tondonias that I’ve been able to try, I’ve enjoyed Tondonia 2000 the most.
It should have been a great introduction to the producer. If you try LdH again, I’d go back for another bottle of that same wine.
Yeah Scott, I picked that one specifically as my first, and I’ll try to go hunt down another.
this is the first corked bottle I’ve had in the last 324 bottles (of all types) I’ve opened
That’s what comes from being smart enough to purchase so many wines with screw caps! Smart guy indeed! ![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
I’ve had plenty of corked wine over the past year unfortunately.
One other thing you might consider is that there’s a lot of funk to those LdH wines. I like them but the winery isn’t what you’d call pristine. There’s a huge dif between their wines on the nose and someone else’s. In other words, it may not have been corked. You often get a mushroomy kind of aroma.
This was my first reaction after seeing which wine it was. Not to say that this bottle wasn’t corked. But even a non-corked bottle of this wine can throw you a bit- after being open for a short while, they start singing that weird funky tune that I love.
Smelling this wine in the glass resulted in
Fruit → 0
Mustiness → 11
On a scale of 0 to 10.