Comments on: Of Spouses, Samples and 92-Point Flawed Wines http://www.1winedude.com/index.php/2009/12/14/of-spouses-samples-and-92-point-flawed-wines/ A Serious Wine Blog For the Not-So-Serious Drinker Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:29:04 -0500 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: 1winedude5036 http://www.1winedude.com/index.php/2009/12/14/of-spouses-samples-and-92-point-flawed-wines/#comment-10675 1winedude5036 Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:44:53 +0000 http://www.1winedude.com/index.php/2009/12/14/of-spouses-samples-and-92-point-flawed-wines/#comment-10675 Thanks, Mark - I've got the Smith-Madrone Riesling 'on tap' to taste soon. Cheers! Thanks, Mark – I've got the Smith-Madrone Riesling 'on tap' to taste soon. Cheers!

]]> By: Mark Cochard http://www.1winedude.com/index.php/2009/12/14/of-spouses-samples-and-92-point-flawed-wines/#comment-10666 Mark Cochard Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:35:28 +0000 http://www.1winedude.com/index.php/2009/12/14/of-spouses-samples-and-92-point-flawed-wines/#comment-10666 Dude, When they are saying a sulfide problem, it would be more likey mercaptans which are characterized by burnt rubbber as well as cooked cabbage. FWIW I don't recall whites where I encoutered a mercaptan problem. Try the Smith Madrone riesling one of the best from California. Dude,
When they are saying a sulfide problem, it would be more likey mercaptans which are characterized by burnt rubbber as well as cooked cabbage. FWIW I don't recall whites where I encoutered a mercaptan problem.

Try the Smith Madrone riesling one of the best from California.

]]> By: 1WineDude http://www.1winedude.com/index.php/2009/12/14/of-spouses-samples-and-92-point-flawed-wines/#comment-10656 1WineDude Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:11:34 +0000 http://www.1winedude.com/index.php/2009/12/14/of-spouses-samples-and-92-point-flawed-wines/#comment-10656 Great points, guys. In terms of me being influenced by SA tasting descriptors, those are almost exclusively used to describe the region's reds, so I'm going to say that I feel confident that this didn't influence my tasting. In terms of what makes a flaw vs. what makes complexity: I totally agree that individuals have different thresholds of detection (within reasonable ranges that we all share, though), and that one person's negative perception is another person's complexity. However, I would lump burnt tire into the realm of rotten eggs - almost any amount would be considered a flaw by *most* people, I'll bet. Brett is much more a function of preference in terms of how much an individual person is willing to put up with in their wine, and I'd argue that would be in higher amounts for most people than sulfur-related aromas. Cheers! Great points, guys. In terms of me being influenced by SA tasting descriptors, those are almost exclusively used to describe the region's reds, so I'm going to say that I feel confident that this didn't influence my tasting.

In terms of what makes a flaw vs. what makes complexity: I totally agree that individuals have different thresholds of detection (within reasonable ranges that we all share, though), and that one person's negative perception is another person's complexity. However, I would lump burnt tire into the realm of rotten eggs – almost any amount would be considered a flaw by *most* people, I'll bet. Brett is much more a function of preference in terms of how much an individual person is willing to put up with in their wine, and I'd argue that would be in higher amounts for most people than sulfur-related aromas.

Cheers!

]]> By: Ted http://www.1winedude.com/index.php/2009/12/14/of-spouses-samples-and-92-point-flawed-wines/#comment-10655 Ted Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:38:22 +0000 http://www.1winedude.com/index.php/2009/12/14/of-spouses-samples-and-92-point-flawed-wines/#comment-10655 Sounds like your SB has itself a sulfide problem. However, it seems like it was very minor and you still liked the wine (or it rocked the Casaba anyway). I imagine the critics felt the same way. Of course, everyone has a different threshold for detecting these things. Think about Brett in wine. Plenty of high scoring wines that I would consider flawed... Sounds like your SB has itself a sulfide problem. However, it seems like it was very minor and you still liked the wine (or it rocked the Casaba anyway). I imagine the critics felt the same way. Of course, everyone has a different threshold for detecting these things.

Think about Brett in wine. Plenty of high scoring wines that I would consider flawed…

]]> By: Tom Mansell http://www.1winedude.com/index.php/2009/12/14/of-spouses-samples-and-92-point-flawed-wines/#comment-10654 Tom Mansell Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:23:43 +0000 http://www.1winedude.com/index.php/2009/12/14/of-spouses-samples-and-92-point-flawed-wines/#comment-10654 Dude: I think your classification of this wine as "flawed" is an issue here. Wine faults are not that common in modern winemaking, now that we have the technology to understand where many of them come from and how to prevent them. However, we still have to be careful when putting wine into discrete "flawed" and "not flawed" terms. It's just too complex. Everyone's perception threshold for different aromas is different, and "hints" of things that in large concentrations would be unpleasant can sometimes be benefical to complexity (one notable exception is cork taint). For example, some reductive notes (i.e. burned rubber) also come along with increased tropical fruit (both are sulfur-related). I also wonder if your perception of burned rubber was influenced by the fact that this descriptor is often used (pejoratively) for South African wines. Perhaps that same aroma in a Pouilly-Fumé would be "gunflint" or "matchstick".... I only mention this because you seem to imply that these publications had some peer pressure to give the wine a high score (when they are tasted under controlled conditions, blind), while you tasted it knowing it was from ZA, etc. Dude:

I think your classification of this wine as "flawed" is an issue here. Wine faults are not that common in modern winemaking, now that we have the technology to understand where many of them come from and how to prevent them. However, we still have to be careful when putting wine into discrete "flawed" and "not flawed" terms. It's just too complex.

Everyone's perception threshold for different aromas is different, and "hints" of things that in large concentrations would be unpleasant can sometimes be benefical to complexity (one notable exception is cork taint). For example, some reductive notes (i.e. burned rubber) also come along with increased tropical fruit (both are sulfur-related).

I also wonder if your perception of burned rubber was influenced by the fact that this descriptor is often used (pejoratively) for South African wines. Perhaps that same aroma in a Pouilly-Fumé would be "gunflint" or "matchstick"…. I only mention this because you seem to imply that these publications had some peer pressure to give the wine a high score (when they are tasted under controlled conditions, blind), while you tasted it knowing it was from ZA, etc.

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