Article;The return of Cabernet

WINE TALK
21

I am sorry, but again, what pull back in ripeness? I mean, certainly there are some producers that are making lower ripeness wines. There always have been. But if the average harvest brix in 2013 was over half a brix higher than ever before in the history of Napa Cabernet, then I have a hard time saying there’s a general pull back in ripeness.

Adam Lee
Siduri Wines

22

Adam, I don’t believe that Jon’s article has anything to do with “average.”

23

Here is a link to the article on the free side of the Chronicle The return of California Cabernet

24

Mike,

Average can have several meanings. I am using the most common one which, per the dictionary, is stated as “a number expressing the central or typical value in a set of data, in particular the mode, median, or (most commonly) the mean, which is calculated by dividing the sum of the values in the set by their number.”

If there was large scale movement towards picking at lower sugars, as the article implies, it would effect the “average.”

I am not arguing that it is good…or bad…or that it should be one way or the other or even why it occurred (I have no clue…but Napa Cab in 2013 was higher in brix than Pinot from any area, higher than Napa and Sonoma Zin, Napa and Sonoma Syrah, etc.) I am simply saying that the numbers do not show such a movement towards picking at lower ripeness. It isn’t difficult math.

Adam Lee
Siduri Wines

25

Thank you sir.

26

Adam, where did Jon suggest that this was a “large scale movement”? I see the article as describing a handful of wineries in the vanguard of producing in a more traditional style - going “against the grain” of several decades of excess, if you will. Not sure I saw the part where he said that the entire industry is following in the footsteps of the highlighted wineries?

And I’m familiar with the basics of statistics, but thanks for the primer! neener

27

Mike,

Now it is a primer on reading for comprehension.

Throughout the entire article he talks about Cabernet as a whole…“Perhaps winemakers simply bumped up against the limits of excess, because they have begun to reel Cabernet back in after an aesthetically difficult 15 or 20 years.” and in the late 1990s and early 2000s “The resulting fruit was plusher, with sugar at unheard-of levels” (in fact, the highest brix was 2013…by 0.6 brix…before that it was 25.7 in 2004, 2006, and 2008).

It is throughout the article that this is a change in Cabernet on a larger level.

Adam Lee
Siduri Wines

28

Adam, by focusing on this ridiculous nit, I do believe you missed the point of the article. I think Jon is discussing a vanguard trend beginning to emerge (as exemplified by a handful of examples). Not sure why you are focused on the fact that overall stats for 2013 don’t yet support the trend. Who cares?

29

Mike

I was under the impression that talking about wine and articles on wine etc. is what we do on this board. I’ve been tracking harvest brix numbers now on Pinot Noir in all of the major growing areas for over a decade. I started doing the same for Napa Cab, Zin from Sonoma and Napa, and Syrah from throughout the state. Perhaps those are all ridiculous nits but I enjoy it.

As far as who cares as to whether or not facts back up an argument obviously you don’t care. I still prefer to have my positions backed up by supporting materials and facts.

Adam Lee
Siduri Wines

30

An aside, agreeing with Adam, Bonné wrote: “That’s why I predict a coming era of re-Cabernetification. For one thing, a generation of drinkers is emerging who have no fear of the wine’s herbal soul. Sommeliers who spurned Cabernet in recent years are reconsidering their stubbornness. Ego juice has its limits.”
Seems to mean he expected this would be widespread and twenty years from now summed up in a decade by decade chart as a style shift along with the others.

I also will believe it when I see it.

But my real rant is that I bristle whenever anybody says “balanced.” It reminds me of politicians debating tax rates and throwing around the presumptuous, argument-begging term, “fair” as in "fair share. It doesn’t offend me economically; it offends me as someone who loves a good argument.

His big and balanced list? He should’ve skipped that part. I’ll be the judge of what’s balanced.

31

Adam, my point is that you are suggesting an “industry-wide” argument that:
a) Bonne never makes; and
b) isn’t essential to the crux of the article

Sometimes it takes many years or even decades for emerging trends to overtake statistical averages. To me, your dispute with 2013 county-wide brix averages is a red herring.

32

Where we disagree is that I think the crux of the article is that trends are changing. As Brian notes above.

Red Herring or not, I’d also point out another pesky fact – that harvest brix in 2012 (not 2013) for Napa Cabernet was higher than any year in the 1990s and higher than 2000, 2001, 2002 and even 2003.

Adam Lee
Siduri Wines

33

Adam,
I saw your Twitter question and then this thread.
Overall I do not think your 2013 average brix number is a good proxy for trends in high end (expensive) wine. An average is dominated by lower priced, higher volume producers. Commodity wine styles cannot expect people to cellar wine. Also there are always extraneous variables such as the one pointed out by Bos Wine on twitter. The 2013 crop was so large that many producers just ran out of tank space and had to let grapes hang while prior picks fermented.
Do you believe that there is not a trend toward fresher styles in high end CA wine?

34

Is the start of IPOB for cabs?

35

“And, frankly, a lot of earlier California Cabernets had their shortcomings. They were ungenerous when young, crafted to hit technical benchmarks from UC Davis or made to imitate the chemistry of wines from much cooler Bordeaux.”

I’m not opining for the days of rip your face off tannins and wines that mimic Bordeaux. That’s not to say I’m the least bit enamored by fruit bombs. In a Cab I enjoy scents of tobacco, herbs, eucalyptus and flowers. What I don’t like are green/vegetal underripe Cabs. For me it’s about balance, so IMO the pendulum swinging too far in either direction is not a good sign. We’ll see over the next few vintages how pervasive the Francophile influence becomes.

36

Kevin,

I do think it remains to be seen if these higher brix numbers result in higher alcohol wines. As you well know, there are many methods in the cellar that can be employed to change those numbers. If anything, I don’t see the trend towards “fresher styles” reflected in picking decisions. But I do think that trend exists in the final wines.

As far as running out of tank space…Pinot Noir brix in 2013 was higher than any year except for 2004 in Sonoma, Monterey, SLO & SB. Again, as you know, that comes in much earlier than Cabernet and prior to tank space issues became apparent.

Finally, the average brix number is, IMO, only worth something in relationship to the other numbers from previous years. That average was dominated by lower priced, high volume producers in every other vintage as well.

Adam Lee
Siduri Wines

37

Not exactly the way I’d put it! [wink.gif]

38

God I hope not.

And what’s all this talk about sugar, and alcohol? Seriously? Are we breaking wine down to what comes out of a lab report?

I’ve been going to Napa quite a bit in the last 2+ years, and my palate says that wines are becoming more balanced, and that has to with phenolic ripeness, which seems to have greatly improved.
When you guys say “ripeness”, does refers to phenolic ripeness, and not brix?

39

[winner.gif]

40

Did it go somewhere?