Chronicle 162: the taste of wine as a bottomless pit: looking back at 2013 and long live 2014!

The taste of wine as a bottomless pit: looking back at 2013 and long live 2014! Chronicle 162 (21 January 2014) Travelling in China Nobody knows very much about the taste of wine and at least the Chinese admit it! What counts is the wine’s reputation, its price, the value of the gift and the pleasure of being together. Everyone has to start one day and with the help of money, things will improve fast. Travelling in Hong Kong The British brought private clubs to Hong Kong and a certain attention for wine. I commented on Angélus, Pavie, La Conseillante and Pichon Lalande there. Which of these wines did the participants like? I confess I don’t know. Like in most places the void that everyone finds him/herself before, when contemplating a glass of wine is glossed over. The role of the label is to provide light in the darkness. In Hong Kong, wine is social and financial, but you can get your wrist slapped if you mention it. The main concern is where the bottle on sale was sourced from. Is it genuine or a copy? In Hong Kong any individual can freely import wine. So a 1982 with a brand new label that has recently been changed, which doesn’t look like a time-worn 1982, appears suspect. Is the wine counterfeit or authentic, but with a dodgy label? Imagine how the discussion livens up after a question like that! Lafite, Latour, Mouton Three verticals carried out abroad in public with purchased bottles. Verdict: Latour first, Mouton second, Lafite third. Which begs the question: given that there are no great wines without careful selection of batches, which reduces volumes and bearing in mind that buyers are prepared to spend a lot of money, why bother with selection at all, because in any case it’s the label that people drink? Professionals talking about the taste of wine The director of a Saint-Emilion cru classé estate coming out of a tasting says to me: “I’ve come to the conclusion that we need a reference point for taste. Many of us are lost.” Yes that’s right, bewilderment about taste is also present amongst producers. Many years ago, Philippe Courrian speaking about his book he wrote with Michel Creignou, who sadly died this year, said, “You make the wine you can and you either like it or not”. In other words, he was acknowledging that the taste of a wine is more an outcome than an objective. Another top director of a premier cru this time once admitted: “When the visitors re-board their planes, you get the impression they wouldn’t really be able to tell you where they spent their afternoon if asked. We don’t think they can distinguish between having been with us or elsewhere.” The only point in common being the prices that vary between €500 and €1000 per bottle. The finest blind vertical in public in 2013 Château Lafleur in Pomerol – I haven’t posted it yet. Why so fine? For the taste. And what exactly in the taste? The burst of fruit, the rush of flavour, the fine-spun grain of the tannin, the subtle fragrant variations on the finish. Just like when you experience the explosion of aromas and the texture of fine cuisine, no more, no less. Two months previously the Pavie vertical was emotionally blander – not published yet either. What is the real value of the 2009 vintage? In general terms, I prefer the style of the 2005s, fresher, but still richly supple; certainly more tannic, but more flavoursome. Note that these 2005s are waking up now. What nobody dreamt of in 2009 happened in 2010: fruit just as ripe with a pH that was often lower. So this was a style that was more focussed on the finish than on the opulence of the mid-palate. 2009 compared to 2010 boils down a little to the breadth of the Merlot against the longitudinal cabernet sauvignon. The flesh of the 2009, its ease of access, its enjoyment score versus the sparkle of the second, the meticulous way it stimulates the senses, the sophistication in the way it lingers, the finish as well as a hint of more tannin. Would you believe it? I scored 2010 reds 20/20 four times; only once in 2009. The happy winners are: Château Latour in Pauillac, Château Cheval Blanc in Saint-Emilion and since they have been bottled, Château Lafleur in Pomerol and Château Haut-Brion in Graves. What is the Outsiders exhibition? A fantastic get-together of taste enthusiasts and craftsmen of quality in the taste of wine. As simple as that. It is so surprising to notice the difficulty which these producers have to meet their audience. We need to understand what the barriers are. The finest compliment of 2013 “Thanks for the show; I came out from it feeling quite peculiar. This is very personal, but it’s similar to the way I felt after the Edward Hopper exhibition. In my own words, I explain it as getting to know a person through the magic of setting something down in writing. I was aware of you setting wine down in writing throughout this exhibition and how it specifically brought the exhibitors together. I have never felt the role of a winegrower so strongly hitherto as the cultivated interpreter of his/her soil. Magic. Thank you.” The sentence everyone understands about quality in tannin “For it to be enjoyable, it has to slide.” Enjoyment and misgiving A year ago we planned to taste several vintages of the four Saint-Emilion premiers grands crus classés on 27 January 2014. The two old ones, Ausone and Cheval Blanc versus the two recently admitted Angélus and Pavie. A friend writes to me to tell me how he is looking forward to meeting up again in Switzerland for this enjoyable event. Perfectly aware, he says, “On paper, of course, this promises to be a fantastic evening. In the bottles, we will have to wait and see.” The evening is costing €1,000 plus travel plus hotel plus the time. What else could be done to make the outcome of the evening surer? Of course, you’ve guessed that he’s writing about the variation between bottles of the same wine, which is the major source of anxiety for wine lovers. My wish list for 2014 That everyone in their respective positions takes a closer look at taste and its mysteries. That the rich learn to taste wine. It’s fun and it could bring deserved attention to new brands or areas. That more and more Bordeaux winegrowers stop being afraid; that they think of the final drinker of their wines before the primeur sales in negotiation with their ever-present middlemen. That they pay more attention to the flavour on our palates than to mass trends, so we can actually for once drink and enjoy the wines that are bottled and served at table. Otherwise at such high prices – be careful with the 2013s! – the mid-range vintages will appeal to no-one. That consumers take part in the administrative decisions of the appellations and play a role in the bodies that classify wines. That corked wines are replaced or reimbursed. That cork suppliers are no longer chosen, because they were good mates at school, but that this job becomes a real profession with guarantees and insurance. That growers get to know their neighbours’ wines perfectly, because as André Malraux so rightly said, “learning is comparing and comparing is thinking”. That the price of wine reflects a little more the value of the effort expended on it and the level of risk taken in making it – using fewer chemicals, for example. The price should also reflect the wine’s splendid flavour and its uniqueness above everything else, rather than just a pretty name and a load of hype that doesn’t mention certain industrial practices or is totally opaque. Of course, these things need to be thought of as proper subjects for discussion and explanation and to make sense for the winegrowers themselves. And winegrowers are busy people. Some enthusiasts visit vineyards to relax and drink without having to think too much. Making these occasions educational and imposing a specific code of behaviour, while insisting that these visitors drink with respect and reflection is like trying to fill a bottomless pit. You have to be truly talented to turn easy entertainment into a learning experience. As for me, I will always strive to build awareness of the taste of wine. I feel more at home, when I know what is missing from the taste of an expensive, renowned wine, preventing it from really being in line with its reputation. Just as I really enjoy finding an Outsider that has all the quality in its taste of a Great wine at a fraction of the price. Or when I serve an expensive wine and it is really touching. Have a Great and Happy New Year! Jean-Marc Quarin _________________________________________________________________________ © Copyright 2010. This publication is the original work of Jean-Marc Quarin Sarl, 10 allée de Ginouilhac, Le Taillan-Médoc. France. - E-mail : jmquarin@quarin.com The news media and subscribing wine distributors, importers and retailers may use portions of this material (such as tasting notes, ratings or quotes) provided that it is not distorted, the proper wine and vintage are stated, www.quarin.com is given credit for the material utilized, and Jean-Marc Quarin (JMQ) is shown as the Copyright holder.

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Chronicle 162: the taste of wine as a bottomless pit: looking back at 2013 and long live 2014!

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