One data point that I think would be important to know is how much new oak are used on these wines? Y makers have been cautioned to not use much or any new oak on potentially smoke tainted wines because it might be confusing to the consumer.
That’s the one I immediately thought of as well. I’ve been wavering whether to buy any of my allocation, but leaning towards a pass. Todays the last day…think I’m going let it go.
I already bought a few 2020’s, but stayed in Anderson Valley.
Talked to a customer who grows chardonnay and sold their most recent harvest to Justin… I’m not very confident after she said egg white removed any traces of smoke. I politely nodded but in my mind “once smoke taint is in the wine… it’s in it.”
The 2020’s I’ve been able to taste have been a minefield. I’ve had better luck with California than I’ve had with Oregon, unfortunately. I worked the 2020 Vintage in Oregon and spent a lot of time in the vineyards, got to taste a few smoky ferments, and an experiment with activated charcoal that I believe the winery has no plans to release. My advice is to taste first if you can, and trust your palate. Smoke taint can range from heavy and ashtray like, to just a touch that barely detracts from the wine. The third case that I am very frustrated with, are the producers that have very clearly used activated charcoal to strip the smoke taint (and every other flavor), increased their oak regimen, and have tried to pass off the wine as unaffected by smoke taint. One of my sales reps told me after I refused a 2020 wine that the winery had sent it off to a lab to have it tested and it was free of smoke taint, but I tasted it next to the 2019 of the same wine and it was definitely flawed. Stripped of all flavor except for toasty oak, with an odd chalky texture, which makes me think it was treated with activated charcoal.
To put some positivity out there I can point to a couple of producers where I detected no flaws, and they aren’t going to surprise anyone who regularly reads this board. The 2020 Bedrock OVZ, and 2020 Patricia Green Reserve (the bottling you see at retail), were both delicious and without any noticeable smoke. Also, they probably aren’t of major interest to this board, but the Wilson Daniels RouteStock 2020 Napa Cab and Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir were both fine.
Ashtray / Marlboro is very different from a smoky note. The former is what I experienced tasting 2008 Anderson Valley.
This sucks for both wineries and for wine lovers.
The findings at my wife’s winery are counter to this. The winemaker there didn’t use as much new oak as he usually does because of the above guidance, but what he found is that the new oak barrels are the ones that had the least amount of smoke issues. Something about the sugars in the new oak binding to the smoke particles and they then precipitate out of solution.
My wife has been bringing home samples of their 2020 Pinots for me to try (Oregon winery, not CA, but still relevant to the discussion I think since we had severe fire/smoke issues in 2020). When I know they are 2020s, and I’m looking for potential smoke issues, I can find them. When she tastes me blind on what she brings home, and I’m just evaluating the wine the same way I usually evaluate wine I’m blind tasting, I don’t find smoke issues. I think there is something to be said about expectations influencing experiences when it comes to smoke taint.
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Amen!
That is interesting though I’m not sure those results are what others are finding . . .
Again, it will be interesting to see new oak usage by others and results.
Cheers
Similar to consommé, if you heat the wine and strain it multiple times through a “raft” of ground meat and egg whites, no one will notice the smoke taint.
Current conversations are to use lots of very lightly toasted new oak. Adds sweetness from the wood and better incorporates the guaiacol
Yes
If you think there may be smoke taint, it will be smoky. 2020 still rearing its ugly head…
Label all bottles 2018. Then,
Enjoy.
This. It’s a very young wine and this could just be some sort of weirdness related to that. But, they need to know and hear from customers to get a heads-up. They can allay your fears if it’s something else/normal, and they can act to make it right if there is taint.
Ashtray is the most irredeemable smoke taint expression. Others, like wood smoke can have other sources, and peoples’ preferences and sensitivity to it vary quite a bit. There can also be a peated Scotch expression, which can be “interesting” at a lower level and get into the medicinal/bandaid realm at higher concentration.
Goldeneye released, or maybe it was tasting room only because that is where I had it, a 2008 bottling that they said yes, it’s tainted but some people like it so we bottled some. It was very distinctive and not very pleasant. They weren’t hiding it, very upfront about it. Noticed some similar flavors in a few other supposedly “clean” 2008’s…
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Ah! The subject of my most bestest thread of all time!
yep, and its only the beginning
Leslie,
Thanks for the update - truly interesting. If ‘sweetness’ helps incorporate guaiacol, could one then feel that sugar in general does the same thing? Could this lead to thinking that perhaps a touch of RS might help, too?
Cheers.
Well it’s your bestest thread cuz you’re… evil! ![[snort.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/b/bdc3944606213c4dca6c1169cf0a166c8bc4f8c9.gif "snort.gif"){kind=small}
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