The Ultimate Expression of Terroir

WINE TALK
1

It is, of course, the ne plus ultra of any wine to express the terroir of where it was grown. There can be no higher achievement than for a wine to show terroir. If we’re good wine connoisseurs, we worship at the altar of terroir. This we’ve been told by the experts and many/many winemakers.
We have also been told by these same experts that Riesling displays its terroir better than any other grape. Errrr…was that Nebbiolo?..or PinotNoir?. I can’t remember which one it is.
Now we find out:
Terroir/FieldBlends
that no…it’s field blends that are the ultimate way for a wine to express terroir. Sorry Burgundy. Sorry Piemonte. Sorry Mosel. It’s field blends.
Ms.Denig also reveals such profundities as:

We know, for example, that every wine is either a varietal bottling or a blend. (The difference there is simple. Varietal wines consist of one single grape variety, while blends are comprised of multiple types of grapes.) Regions like Burgundy are known for their single-varietal bottles, whereas other areas, such as Bordeaux, are renowned for world-class blends.

So…now we know. I guess I’m going to have to start buying more Carlisle and Bedrock in order to have a wine that is the ultimate expression of terroir. Whatta shame.
Tom [stirthepothal.gif]

2

Certified specialist of wine.

Speaks with authority.

I don’t think you’re her audience.

Besides, if terroir shows, it shows, blend or not. Mostly it’s like astrology.

“What sign are you?” “Cancer.” “I knew it!”

“What kind of soil is this from?” “Granite.” “I knew it!”

3

I found the article interesting, and didn’t take offense to the word terroir (a word she only mentions once in the body of the article). The point wasn’t that blends offer the best example of terroir, but rather blends of multiple varietals from the same exact terroir have unique challenges (e.g. when to pick) and, when done well, make excellent and interesting wines.

In addition, I interpreted the word “peak” to represent the challenge of the winemaker to prune/harvest/etc at the right time to get the appropriate peak among the multiple varietals.