Thanks, Adam.
So in your example, you are saying that the exclusion of the dehydrated berries meant that the the brix went up less than expected / desired? Sorry if it means the opposite, I’m feeling a bit slow today.
I’m more familiar in sorting in Washington, but I unequivocally believe it makes better wines that are more complex and likely to show terroir (depending on winemaker style and picking times).
Here we have mostly Negoc style wineries buying fruit from multiple vineyards and owners, this in itself adds some complexity…but sorting really is there to get rid of a few problems Washington always has, peas and pumpkins, sun burn, and berries from overly tight/dense clusters that on the outside look pretty, but if you split it open is totally green and unripe in the middle because of the clusters density. Some vineyard blocks you feel like 50% is discarded due to mediocre vineyard techniques that haven’t been corrected since the vineyard was planted.
If you have healthy vines, and you thin your crop throughout the growing season, why would you need to “extreme sort”?
Better question- why spend all that money on an optical sorter, then sort AGAIN, by hand?
Where’s Brad Grimes when you need him?
Yes. Though it might differ a bit from what you’ve come to expect from a less-than-perfect expression of terroir.
Yes. But I also agree with those above who noted that other decisions, like how ripe, how much oak, etc. may have more impact on this than sorting.
If I have to choose, I’ll go with complexity every time. Couldn’t agree more with what Doug Schulman said.
Here’s what I want to know: Who’s going to trust a Cabernet maker named Malbec?
Kapcsandy, Blankiet, Capture, et al. But mainly, Chateau Latour, where he was born.
Bordeaux has never struck me as a region of traditionalists… like most regions geared to export they’ve always been pretty ‘pragmatic’.
That was my thought as well. These techniques are used in Bordeaux and Burgundy at the big-name establishments. In fact, I’ve been told by people in the business that the difference between some of the big money bottlings and the little-money bottlings is mostly the meticulous sorting.
When I was in Bordeaux last year, it seemed like a number of estates had optical sorters, not just first growths. Also, I believe that Domaine Dublere in Burgundy just got one.
Who authored this? They don’t display a name, unless I’m missing it.
What a great publication the WofW is.
Best,
Kenney
That and reverse osmosis systems.
Aren’t the top estates in Burgundy notorious for extreme hand sorting that’s even more draconian in the typical poor-weather Burgundy vintage than anyone in Napa with an optical machine would dream of being? (Which is why “buy producer, not vintage” works in Burgundy only if you’re rich enough to afford DRC/Rousseau and the like.) So why pick on California yet again? One of the reasons I stopped subscribing to this magazine.
Robert…the author is KelliWhite (who she?)…buried in the first paragraph there.
Tom
Stepford Wines
Kelly White was/is a Somm at PRESS in Napa. She also contributes to Galloni’s Vinous publication. I saw that she’s mentioned in the first paragraph but it appeared as though they mentioned her like they mentioned the rest of the personalities in that piece. Didn’t seem like it was written in the Kelly’s voice, per se(not that one has _every_thing to do with the other).
Thanks,
Kenney
Right. Dehydrated berries have a much higher Brix because some of the water is gone but the sugar is still there. Once all the juice is homogenized, they would push up the average.
Regarding complexity, this seems similar to the debate as to whether a small amount of Brett is “better” or not.
Rigorous sorting has more to do with consistency and being reproducible of the same quality. If you believe that you have the soil and winemaking scheme that produces perfect wine, why risk the probability that some undesirable berries throw it off course?