Hi Alan
I do very much understand what you’re saying, and it takes me back to the first tasting group I joined. I knew the square root of zero about wines back then, so they didn’t need to be blinded. The one game we played, was to “guess the price of the bottle” and that was such a great way of focusing the mind on how much we liked the wines. No label worship, just a no prejudice feeling of how much we’d pay to buy another bottle of it.
As much as I really enjoy this hobby, a little bit of me hankers after those innocent times. Thanks for the post.
Regards
Ian
Theirs reminds me of my journey into Scotch whiskey. Very few of my friends in my 20s would consider drinking the stuff with descriptions like, “iodine” and “left over campfire”. And it is true to a point. One has to want to like Scotch to enjoy it and many wines are like that. Some take more effort than many people are willing to put into it and I get it.
I am also terrible describing the taste of wine and have given over to how it makes me feel. I think you can get back to a simpler appreciation. Let go of the analysis.
Think mainly a palate shift, or a fundamental change in the winemaking? They have definitely ramped new oak usage in the Estate Cab, which is noticeable and made me stop buying it. I haven’t tasted the recent Geyservilles (and the winemaking notes don’t indicate a shift), but you have me worried.
I’m guessing you’re basing that on the '14 Estate Cab, which was an anomaly. As a reminder, that’s essentially declassified Monte Bello. The new oak didn’t work well with the fruit, so those lots didn’t make the cut for MB, meaning the 2nd wine suffered for it. I’m guessing it’ll come around with time, but not interested in betting on it. The '13 and '15 are far superior in every way.
Similarly, I think the common wisdom here about young Geyserville is off base. I’ve always found some vintages obnoxious young, while others were glorious, with points between. They all age well, which is what I do with them.
Looking back, there was a Chicken Little online impression from the '01 Monte Bello, which was the ripest ever vintage. It didn’t mark a change in direction. It was just the right picking decisions for an unusual vintage. A vibrant, wonderful wine.
Ian - I find it remarkably easy to recreate that feeling by exploring new regions and styles. Eastern Europe and natural wines for example. For me it is more enjoyable than diving into greater and greater nuances of the classic regions.
I suspect I’d have different answers for “guess the price of the bottle” and “how much would you pay for this bottle.”
Regarding Ridge Geyserville, I’ve been less enamored of recent vintages than I was back in the 1990s. I figured it was a change in my preferences. Has the wine changed significantly?
The “Draper perfume” is pretty much a thing of the past. I’d be interested to taste alongside people who say the oak is more prominent in Ridge wines to get an idea of what they’re getting (and if they’re drawing conclusions on a tiny sample size). I go up there several times a year, and it seems the oak is generally less prominent. The Estate Chards, especially. Those used to be nearly repulsive on release to many hardcore Ridge fans (though could evolve into amazing wines with 15 years on 'em). Now, they’re usually quite nice on release. Usually.
To me, recent vintages of Geezer, like '13, '14, '15, have been back-up-the-truck wines. (Again, I bury my Ridge wines. Being local, there are many contexts I get to try younger ones. I’ve rarely popped one of my own without at least 15 years on it.)
Way back twenty-something years ago when I got into wine, I wrote notes for myself and made up a star rating system based on how much I’d be willing to pay for another bottle of that wine. That’s a good exercise. A good wine can get a zero. Thinking about your own economic value of a wine is very helpful. Makes it easier to pass on a $50 you’d be willing to pay $35 for. But, you might later see it marked down and pick one up.
Thanks Wes. I don’t think it’s oak that’s the issue for me. Just less interesting, more one-track, perhaps from the loss of that Draper perfume. I have not been aging them like I used to. I’ll try a bottle young and not bother laying any down because they just don’t seem the same. I remember the 1990 and 1991 Lytton Springs and Geyserville drinking beautifully for 20 years.
Thanks. Did not know the story behind the '14. Sure I will have a chance to taste the '15 soon. I noticed the oak in the '13, but thought it has a chance to integrate unlike the '14. In any event, I think post '12 they ramped to nearly 50% new oak from 15-20%? Not a judgment whether the change made a better wine for anyone but myself.
I was on the website a couple days ago looking at the oak regimen on the Estate Merlot and Cabs. It looks like it varies from vintage to vintage, which makes sense, based on the fruit. I really want to like Ridge, but most of the time the oak and dill flavors are too much for me. I wish they would dial it back some.