tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post7401399669401505745..comments2024-03-18T04:47:16.199-07:00Comments on The Gray Report: Terroir and Pinot Noir: their relationship is frayingW. Blake Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17755307711801965966noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-19011360489652261672011-03-14T09:35:09.842-07:002011-03-14T09:35:09.842-07:00Re: writer-geek challenge. I owe this to Abbott an...Re: writer-geek challenge. I owe this to Abbott and Costello. Go ahead, back up!Kent Bensonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-77935036776112259662011-03-08T15:28:51.444-08:002011-03-08T15:28:51.444-08:00Mountford: I think Larry's point rests in how ...Mountford: I think Larry's point rests in how one defines "great grapes." A viticulturist would strive for perfect, even ripeness -- and that might help diminish what we think of as the aroma of terroir.<br /><br />That said, listen to your winemaker; there are plenty of drinkable wines made from mediocre grapes and rocket science, but not so many great ones. (Cognac is another W. Blake Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17755307711801965966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-45175033733392565112011-03-08T13:29:20.105-08:002011-03-08T13:29:20.105-08:00Hi, interesting point of view. I have heard from C...Hi, interesting point of view. I have heard from CP, our wine maker, that good wine can be made from 'bad' grapes but it is hard work. Great wine is made from great grapes. So maybe Terroir is still important for the great grapes factor? Sorry if that is a silly question, like I have said in the past the wine industry is new to me and I'm learning as I go, which is one of the reasons Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-81257248381727208912011-03-04T18:09:32.010-08:002011-03-04T18:09:32.010-08:00Kim: Your points are valid, and yet the same issue...Kim: Your points are valid, and yet the same issue affects single-vineyard Pinots even from the best areas. <br /><br />Mike: "Better" is a loaded word, but I'm not going to back off of it, because in this case it means "technologically more competent." I don't see Coca-Cola as an analogy because sugar is not unique to Mexico, though wow, are sodas with sugar tastier W. Blake Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17755307711801965966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-56113433814781202682011-03-04T18:04:50.600-08:002011-03-04T18:04:50.600-08:00Why pick out Pinot specifically? This modern winem...Why pick out Pinot specifically? This modern winemaking style cuts across all varietals. And only people who aren't that concerned with this debate or who are lazy would bring up the old "all these pinots taste the same" comments.<br /><br />Just like in Burgundy you have to really get to know different areas and producers to be able to see the broad variability. I make Pinots in Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-91503735854362501812011-03-04T16:37:49.414-08:002011-03-04T16:37:49.414-08:00"Reviews drive sales, sales dictate style. Ju..."Reviews drive sales, sales dictate style. Just ask Enologix."<br />Right, there's an unbiased opinion. <br /><br />But speaking of confusion and terroir, how about the role of clones? Willakenzie bottles different clones from very similar terroirs, and the wines are noticeably different. Or winemaking technique - Dujac vs. Leroy; is one or the other muddying terroir or are both Christian Millernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-18384562236919970992011-03-04T14:15:21.353-08:002011-03-04T14:15:21.353-08:00The frayed relationship between terroir and Pinot ...The frayed relationship between terroir and Pinot Noir is largely due to fruit sourced from newer poorly selected vineyard sites growing overcropped, overripe fruit resulting in high alcohol wines that lack distinction. This is also why the wines are bigger and darker—higher alcohol levels lead to more extraction of tannin and phenols. Being too heavy handed in the cellar with extraction or Kimhttp://www.kramerwine.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-77588066771680693762011-03-04T12:23:53.581-08:002011-03-04T12:23:53.581-08:00I would have to disagree with the statement that w...I would have to disagree with the statement that winemakers are getting better. They are for the most part following the same recipe. Reviews drive sales, sales dictate style. Just ask Enologix. Randell Grahm talked about the same thing on his blog Been Doon So Long. I would tend to side with him. Riper wine show less terroir. Can anyone tell the differnce between coca-cola made in Atlanta Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16389021348635254070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-47518763369901085382011-03-04T12:20:47.076-08:002011-03-04T12:20:47.076-08:00Ummm... I understand his conclusion that "win...Ummm... I understand his conclusion that "winemaking" is leading to weaker terroir expression, but why exactly are we assuming this kind of winemaking is "better"?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-22823283622995703352011-03-04T11:32:37.090-08:002011-03-04T11:32:37.090-08:00Dave: It's a fair question, and one I don'...Dave: It's a fair question, and one I don't have the stats at hand to answer. I wonder if somebody out there does. Alcohol level gets written about all the time, though: these other stats aren't talked about as much, but are probably more important for the way we perceive a wine's taste.<br /><br />Anonymous: I think Larry answered that question in his speech. Parallel winemaking.W. Blake Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17755307711801965966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-67343263127227149312011-03-04T11:09:50.361-08:002011-03-04T11:09:50.361-08:00If you go to the Willamette Valley, there sure are...If you go to the Willamette Valley, there sure are a lot of tasting rooms that sell both a really dark Pinot Noir and a Syrah. What conclusion should be drawn?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-56490012230657097822011-03-04T07:29:17.470-08:002011-03-04T07:29:17.470-08:00So how do phenols and tannins correlate with alcoh...So how do phenols and tannins correlate with alcohol levels? I'd argue that only through over under* analysis of alcohol % could you truly say that "exactly the same thing" is happening in France as in the US of A.<br /><br />* yes, this was in part (ok, mostly) to answer the writer geek challenge (however poorly), but it does seem that there's been a sharp rise in alcohol BikrDavehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04369563181732506747noreply@blogger.com