When wine loses its soul

There are a lot of similarities between wine and man. Wine emerges from the miracles of nature in much the same way that man emerges from the womb. Starting out as buds breaking from the vine, they slowly emerge as grapes that are eventually harvested after many months of cultivation. Once harvested the grapes turn to juice and is then watched over precariously by its parents, the winemakers. Eventually, the juice emerges as wine, but that is not where the journey ends.

As with kids, wine needs to be watched over during those formative years to make sure it is shielded from unwanted elements (i.e. – sunlight, extreme temperatures, too little or too much humidity, etc.). Sometimes a wine will fall astray or doesn't have the natural make-up and leaves us prematurely. Sometimes wines will receive the love and care that they need and deserve to continue to flourish well beyond their siblings and cousins.

I am not sure why I thought about wine like this, but once this concept entered my brain, it made a lot of sense. Yesterday I was reviewing some tasting notes from a wine dinner that a group of us had back in the spring. We partook in a vertical of Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from 1994-1999. As I reviewed my notes and relived the experience, my recollections led me to the fact that we partook in wines that more likely than not had left us prematurely. There were a couple that held their own, most notably the ’95 and the ’98, but the others had left us long before.

So what is it like when a wine loses its soul?

The wine is still wine, it still exudes berries, spice, leather and a number of different terms meant to relate to practical sensory reference points, but there is something missing. Galileo said it best “wine is sunlight held together by water” and in this case, sunlight is the soul of the wine. It eventually leaves and takes a bit of the class and excitement along with it. The soul of the wine is what I feel many wine collectors/connoisseurs miss.

If I were to offer a bottle of 2007 Rosenblum Petite Sirah and a bottle of 1986 Haut-Brion to anyone with a wine pulse, almost all would invariably select the 1986 Haut-Brion. Chances are that the Rosenblum is alive, vibrant, exceedingly pleasant and has many years ahead of it, while the Haut-Brion, unless stored with terrific provenance, is souless and hollow. It may have characteristics of oxidation, grainy and off sediment, possibly emit an odor of cat urine (for those who have read “A Cautionary Tale” you will know what I mean), or may exude the characteristic of being hollow. Yes, the Haut-Brion offers a sentimental and buzz-worthy experience (no pun intended), but probably little else. It is a lot like looking back at times with an old best friend and then realizing that they are no longer that person (nor are you), there is something missing that makes things awkward.

The soul, or sunlight, is in many ways the most important aspect of wine, as with people. There are ways that we can prolong the soul of a wine, but it takes the TLC that only a good parent can provide. Without it, wine, like a person, will lose its soul and be left a hollow shell, never living up to what could have been.

When wine loses its soul

Time to try a Bordeaux Second!

For most of us, times have been tough and a bottle of one of the best Bordeaux wines is too steep to even dream about buying. Most people cannot even begin to rationalize paying $300, $600, or even $1000-plus for a single bottle of wine. Truth is, even in better times, or for those who can still imagine spending that much, it would be hard to pull the trigger if the situation arose. So how are we to partake in the craft that these amazing wine houses put forth?

The Answer: Bordeaux Second Wines!

The craft of wine making in Bordeaux is one that demands perfection. Only the best grapes go into the estate wines. This would obviously leave a lot of waste if the remaining grapes went unused or sold to lesser crafters. The question was asked, “what do we do with all of the grapes that are still excellent, but not perfect?” The answer came in the 18th Century, when Bordeaux’s major wine houses began using these grapes to create their “second” wines.

Bordeaux Seconds are an opportunity for us, mere monetarily restricted mortals, to enjoy wines crafted by the elites. Names such as Château Latour, Château Margaux, and Château Petrus (just to name a few), are now available to us without the need to shell out a weeks or months worth of pay! The best part, you sacrifice little in terms of quality and complexity! Using Wine Spectator's ratings as a guide, the 2004 Château Petrus was rated 93 points and would run you around $900. Now compare that to their second wine, Château La Fleur-Petrus, of the same vintage. It will run you around $80 and is rated 92 points, that's less then 1/10 the cost! If that is not a deal then I don’t know what is?! Examples such as this are not uncommon and Bordeaux Seconds are carried quite readily by wine merchants and liquor stores for this reason.

Here is a list of some of the Estates and their corresponding Second wines:

Bordeaux First Growths:
Château Latour - Les Forts de Latour
Château Margaux - Pavillon Rouge de Château Margaux
Château Mouton-Rothschild - Le Petit Mouton
Château Haut-Brion - Bahans Haut-Brion
Château Lafite-Rothschild - Carrudades de Lafite-Rothschild

Other Bordeaux (a little more affordable and just as enjoyable):
Château Lynch-Bages – Château Haut-Bages Averous ($25-40)
Château Ducru-Beaucaillou - La Croix de Beaucaillou ($25-40)
Château Petrus - Château La Fleur-Petrus ($60-95)
Château Palmer - Alter Ego de Palmer ($70-100)

The next time you are looking for a special occasion or gift wine, keep an eye out for Bordeaux Seconds. They have all of the prestige and quality without the astronomically high price! I hope you have a chance to enjoy one of these at some point. You will not be disappointed.

Time to try a Bordeaux Second!

A cautionary tale

When people decide to get into wine and start acquiring a few bottles to age for special occasion or simply collect, there are a few things that need to be kept in mind. Consistent temperature exposure (I keep mine in the range of 52-55 degrees), very little exposure to light, proper humidity levels (to prevent the cork from drying out), and exposure to very little vibration are the major things to keep under consideration when selecting a place to store your wine.

My cousin, who shall remain nameless, learned this lesson about proper wine storage the hard way. When Bob was a little younger and was new to wine collecting, he was actually quite astute with the wines he selected (I think my uncle may have had a positive influence on him in regards to this). He looked for the French Classics, some off-vintage First Growths from Bordeaux (a great way to experience the best of Bordeaux without breaking the bank) and some very interesting/well-respected California Cabs & Bordeaux Blends. The roster of his cellar is a beautiful thing. It is stocked with older vintages of Château Mouton-Rothschild, Château Latour, Château Haut-Brion, Château Margaux, Pichon-Longueville (both Lalande and Baron), Stag's Leap, and Chateau Montelena, just to name a few.

He amassed a very respectable collection and enjoyed some of these wines early on. However, quite a few of his bottles didn't fare as well over time. You see, they were stored in his apartment that typically got quite hot in the summer months (70+ degrees) that had a few windows that allowed direct sunlight to enter. That is two big mistakes that unless you are told, you won't really think about. Considering that this was in NE Ohio there was no shortage of humidity, so that was not an issue.

Why do I tell you all this?

For one, if you are beginning a collection or buying a few nice bottles for special occasions PLEASE do one of two things. Either keep them in your basement OR if you don't have a basement, consider purchasing a wine cooler (typically range from $100-500 depending on how many bottles it holds). There is no sense buying collectible or older bottles if you aren't going to store them correctly and let them go bad.

Second, I got to try one of these fallen classics. Let me tell you, it was interesting to say the least. When I was in Ohio in the Spring my cousin decided to let me try a bottle of 1986 Château Haut-Brion from Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux. This was one of my first experiences with a Bordeaux First-Growth and I am quite possibly scarred for life! I am just kidding, but I will surely never forget this.

The 1986 Château Haut-Brion had a very distinct aroma that was vaguely familiar. Due to the improper storage the aroma had altered somewhat and now smelled like cat urine! It was actually quite funny in a way (and completely sad in another). The very interesting thing was that this wine was NOT spoiled. My cousin and I were shocked. Once we got past the smell, we found that the palate still retained some faded dark cherry, earthy and leathery notes and was even a little pleasant. Albeit the smell was ghastly, the wine overall was not a complete loss! I am not sure I will experience anything quite like this again.

Now, my cousin learned from this experience and now has a nice set-up in his basement which has very good conditions for storing wine. Both he and his father are extremely gracious with thier wine and wine knowledge and have been a huge inspiration for me during my evolution in wine. My uncle has been somewhat of a mentor/counsel for the endeavor that I have undertaken as well.

Thanks you two!

I hope that you all can learn something from this cautionary tale, I know I did. Wine that smells like cat urine stinks!

A cautionary tale