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Daily Glass: Trial and Error, and Variety of Opinions
Drinking wine is complicated.
I guess I lost you right here and now.
Let’s try again.
Drinking wine is not complicated. Things preceding the wine getting into your glass are complicated. Deciding on the wine to buy, deciding on the wine to drink, deciding how long to keep the bottle before opening is complicated. Dealing with influences, both positive and negative is complicated. If you don’t see it that way – you are lucky. And if you do share my opinion, let me have your ear.
Today, let’s talk about influences. First, let’s take a look at the positive influences. A trusted friend said that the wine was amazing and you must try it. You visited your favorite, trusted wine store, and the salesperson recommended the wine. You saw a raving review for the wine on the website you already bought 10 excellent wines before. You obviously trust the recommendation and happily buy the wine. All is good, right?
Of course, all is good. Maybe not all, but almost all. What might not be good in such a beautiful picture? The expectations. Getting a recommendation from a trusted source sets your expectations. It sets them way, way too high. If your high expectations are not met upon the first sip that obviously creates disappointment. What was supposed to bring you instant joy is now making you upset. Your expectations now failed, and because it was a trusted source, it makes things even worse.
Before you get too upset, let’s think. Maybe the problem is not with the recommendation, but with the way you took it? This is wine, remember? Aeration, temperature, mood, food, environment – all affect the perceived taste of wine. Serve heavy red too cold, and the wine will become bitter. Serve it too hot, and you will be running away from the alcohol hit. Serve a 3 years old bottle of Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon without decanting, and I literally guarantee you pain and disappointment. In wine, these little things matter.
Case in point – 2019 Viña Cobos Felino Cabernet Sauvignon Mendoza (14% ABV, $6.98 ($22 original price), 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged for 8 months in oak barrels 10% new). A few months back, I got an email from Wine Exchange, with an offer no wine lover can resist – outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon which was originally priced at $22 and is now $6.98 as a black Friday promotion. I bought 6 bottles. A week or so later opened one and had a feeling of being duped – the wine didn’t show much of anything. I made a mental knot to remember that this was not the wine I can enjoy. Can you imagine my level of disappointment? Of course, at this price, nobody can really complain, but the disconnect between the trusted expert’s recommendation and the actual experience was too dramatic and definitely contributed to the feeling of disappointment.
Two weeks ago, I was looking for a bottle to open for a house guest and just came across this wine again – yeah, sometimes I suck as a host, I know. After my guest had a few glasses (I was not drinking that evening), I pumped the air out and put the bottle aside. The next evening, I was not looking forward to it, but I said I would just have a sip and then put the bottle aside to cook with. Wow. What a transformation. The wine was beautiful, it opened up, it had cassis, it had cherries, it was clean and succulent, exactly as the description promised. Do you see now what I’m talking about? The positive expectations were not met – I’m glad I didn’t stop at that moment of disappointment, but the overall experience could’ve turned out for the worst.
Now, let’s talk about the negative influence. When a trusted expert tells you that the bottle of wine is not good or that you will not like it – you listen. If this is the conversation in the wine shop before you buy the bottle, the outcome is clear – you would just not buy the bottle. And if you already own the bottle? Well, it is what it is then…
A few weeks ago, I spoke with my friend Zak (the wine store owner) who mentioned his recent experience with Peter Michael wine – he open a bottle of an older Peter Michael Sauvignon Blanc, and it was practically on the way out, actively developing tertiary aromas. A few days after this conversation, after a long day, I suddenly had an urge for a glass of white wine late in the evening. This doesn’t happen that often, but hey, obey your craving… After mindlessly pulling a few shelves in the wine cabinet, I came across the one with Peter Michael bottles. “Aha, this 2012 Peter Michael L’Après-Midi Estate Napa Valley (15.6% ABV, 95% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Semillon, 8 months in French oak) is probably gone already anyway, why don’t I open that”.
“Whoa” was my instant reaction upon the first sip. 10 years old white wine from California, with 15.6% ABV… You would definitely expect the wine to turn, and yet it was fresh, complex, exuberant, brimming with juicy whitestone fruit, plump vanilla, and fresh acidity. Could my low expectations contribute to the elevated enjoyment? This is always a possibility, but I’m not sure. The wine was not comparatively good, it was simply good on its own. What made my experience different from Zak’s? I have no idea – it is a mystery. And this mystery is what makes wine so much fun.
There you are – an account of indecisive winelover dealing with influences and preconceived notions.
But for some reason, I don’t think my situation is unique. I’m sure you got your own stories – do tell…
Precision of Flavors – Tasting the Wines of Achaval-Ferrer
Drinking wine is a pleasure – for sure it should be, and if you don’t feel like it, maybe you shouldn’t drink it at all. At the same time, there are multiple ways to look at one and the same thing.
A pleasure of drinking of the glass of wine may be just as it sounds, very simple – take a sip of the liquid in the glass, say “ahh, it tastes good”, and continue to the next sip or with the conversation, whatever entices you the most at the moment.
Then there are many of us, wine lovers, who, professionally or unprofessionally, can’t stop just at that. Yes, we take pleasure in every sip, but then we need to dig in. We feel compelled to put on the Sherlock Holmes hat and play the wine sleuth, figuring out exactly what we are tasting in that very sip. What was that flavor? Was that a raspberry? Hmmm, maybe not. And that whiff of something? It is so familiar! Why can’t I put a name on it? Grrrr.
Everyone who engaged in that wine tasting exercise I’m sure can relate to what I’m saying. But every once in a while, we do get a break, when the flavor simply jumps at you, pristine and obvious. And the best twist here is when the flavor is matching to what is expected to find in the wine, like fresh cut grass in Sauvignon Blanc, black currant in Cabernet Sauvignon, or pepper in Syrah – don’t we love those pure and precise flavors?
Achaval-Ferrer winery is only about 20 years old, built on the passion and vision of a group of friends in Mendoza, Argentina. In those 20 years, Achaval-Ferrer accomplishments are nothing short of enviable. Achaval-Ferrer wines earned multiple Decanter magazine 5-star ratings (the highest). There are 29 wines from Argentina rated as “Classic” by Wine Spectator (95-100 ratings) – 13 out of those 29 wines are Achaval-Ferrer wines; the flagship Malbec Finca Altamira consistently getting 96 points rating year after year.
In addition to passion, vision, hard work and perseverance, the success foundation of Achaval-Ferrer is its high altitude vineyards, located from 700 to 1100 meters above sea level (2,300 – 3,600 ft). Three out of four main vineyards of Achaval-Ferrer are also about 100 years old, and boast pre-phylloxera vines, as Phylloxera simply can’t survive in those high mountains conditions. Now all left to do is to take the beautiful fruit those vineyards produce and make it into equally beautiful wines – the Achaval-Ferrer does it quite successfully.
Here is what triggered my “precision of flavors” opening. I had an opportunity to taste a sample of Achaval-Ferrer wines recently, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. While Malbec was a very good wine, but clearly needed time to mature, Cabernet Sauvignon was stunning, with flavors and aromas just jumping at your right away from the glass, with easy to relate to, textbook-correct cassis – also intensifying its purity with the time. This was a perfect example of why Argentinian wines are so popular and deserving of all your attention. And at a price of $24.99, the Cabernet Sauvignon offer an outstanding QPR, easily beating many classic Napa Cabs which would also cost you at least three times as much.
Here are my detailed notes:
2015 Achaval-Ferrer Cabernet Sauvignon Mendoza Argentina (14.5% ABV, $24.99, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon)
C: dark garnet, almost black
N: very intense, dark roasted fruit, cassis. The roasted fruit intensity diminishes as the wine breathes.
P: beautiful cassis, clean acidity, soft tannins, lots of layers. As the wine breathes, the tannins show better and more pronounced. Pure clean black currant after a day.
V: 8+, outstanding, wow. Will evolve.
2015 Achaval-Ferrer Malbec Mendoza Argentina (14.5% ABV, $24.99, 100% Malbec)
C: practically black
N: roasted meat, smoke, tar, intense, baking spices
P: dark fruit, bright acidity, mint, alcohol burn in the back?, succulent, lavender, spicy. Blueberries showed up on the second day.
V: 8, needs time, but perfectly delicious on the second day.
Here you are, my friends. Achaval-Ferrer definitely makes wines worthy of oenophile’s attention – and the QPR makes these wines worth seeking. Cheers!
From Marche to Mendoza, With Vine
Rutini Vineyards. Source: Rutini Wines web site
In 1884, Felipe Rutini arrived to Mendoza area in Argentina. Continuing family traditions from the early 1800s when his father, Francisco Rutini, started making wine in the area known as Le Marche in Italy, he planted grapes and started making wine now in Argentina. Don Felipe, as he became later known at, was 19 years old when he founded La Rural winery in the district of Coquimbito. In 1925, Rutini family continued pioneering traditions of Don Felipe by planting first vines in the Tupungato area of the Uco Valley, a high altitude home to some of the very best vineyards in Argentina.
Today Rutini family is one of the biggest wine producers in Argentina, making about 9.5 million bottles of wine per year and exporting it to the 40 countries. You might be well familiar with the line of wines under a common name of Trumpeter, which include Chardonnay, Torrontes, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and a number of others – Trumpeter is one of the 6 different ranges produced by Rutini Wines. Recently, Rutini Wines started introducing a new “Classic Series” line of wines in the United States, and I wanted to share my impressions from few of the wines in this line which I had an opportunity to taste.
But before we talk about the wines, let’s talk a bit more about Rutini family wine business today. Once again, I got together – well, yes, virtually, same as few times in the past – with Mariano Di Paola, head winemaker for Rutini Wines and one of the top winemakers in Argentina, and I had an opportunity to ask him a few questions. Here is what we talked about:
Q: Rutini family started making wines in Italy. Is there still a connection today at the Rutini Winery back to the traditions and customs of Region Marche?
A: No there are no direct links, but we still try to use the original Rutini winemaking influence today. Felipe Rutini was a visionary man who believed in Argentina’s winemaking capabilities, planting the first vines in Mendoza, and generations after we still work hard to maintain his legacy.
Q: If I understand correctly, Rutini is introducing its Classic Collection wines in the US. For how long had you been producing the Classic Collection wines? What were the main markets for it until now?
The Rutini collection was first released in Argentina with the 1996 Malbec, followed by Merlot and Gewürztraminer. It has been available in the U.S.: NY, TX, FL, MD, DC, MA, RI, and CA since the end of 2013.
Q: What are the oldest vines growing at Rutini vineyards?
A: Select Malbec vines in La Consulta date back over 100 years.
Q: What was the source of inspiration for the Rutini Sauvignon Blanc?
A: We wanted to create a well- balanced Sauvignon Blanc that spoke to the true characteristics of this varietal and represented the best quality of this wine.
Q: Sauvignon Blanc is really not the grape Argentina is known for. Do you think Argentinian Sauvignon Blanc has its own style and will become a wide movement?
A: Yes, Argentine Sauvignon Blanc has its own style which is heavily dictated by the particular growing region. Our continental climate, highly influenced by the Andes, and high altitude provide us with optimal grape growing conditions. Sunny day and dry summer conditions allow us to harvest fully ripened grapes. The cool evening temperatures and controlled irrigation serve to prolong hang time and to create a good balance between sugar and acidity. As there is more interest to try other Argentine varietals, there will be more Sauvignon Blanc production. Our Sauvignon Blanc style, of course, offers really good acidity, lemongrass aromas, floral aromas, but we also focus on producing a mineral style.
Q: Malbec is unquestionably a star red grape of Argentina. Is there a next great Argentinian Grape on the horizon, or is it going to be Malbec for a while?
A: We are always experimenting with different varietals, and while the native varietal Torrontes produces an exceptional and distinct white wine, Malbec will always shine when grown in this region, and it really speaks for the tradition and future of winemaking in Argentina.
Q: Do you use any of sustained, organic or biodynamic methods in production of your wines?
A: In our vineyards we do not practice organic or biodynamic methods, due to the health and hygiene of the plants themselves and the nobility of our soils, all of which , the use of pesticides that may eventually affect the vineyard is not necessary.
Q: It seems that most of the Rutini wines made from the grapes coming from the multiple vineyards. Do you have any plans to produce single vineyard or even single plot wines?
A: Yes, we do have plans to produce single-vineyard wines. At the moment wines are in the aging process and will launch in the market soon. ( Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon ).
Q: Probably a very unexpected question 🙂 – I understand that Rutini wines are sold in China. How big and/or important that market for Rutini family wines? What wines sell best in China?
China is a very important market for Rutini. As of 2013, the U.S. and China represented 50% of our sales, with the Rutini collection being the most popular brand sold. Chinese consume mostly red wines /red blends and for Argentina, they prefer of course Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. Sparkling also sells well in this market.
So, what do you think? I think it was a very interesting conversation, albeit virtual. But now, I’m sure you are thirsty, so let’s have some wines. Here are my notes on the 3 Rutini wines form the Classic collection which I tasted:
2012 Rutini Wines Rutini Sauvignon Blanc Mendoza Argentina (12.5% ABV, $25, 3 months in oak, 50% new, 50% 2nd and 3rd use)
C: light golden
N: minerality, Chablis-like nose, very restrained
P: plump, creamy, delicious. I would never identify this as Sauvignon Blanc – Marsanne, Roussanne or Chardonnay come to mind. The wine was also not over-chilled, just chilled slightly. This wine is an enigma – coming straight from the fridge, it shows more of restrained sweetness, somewhat between New Zealand and California style
V: 8-, unique and interesting. The price looks somewhat high, but then this wine clearly aims at a nice Sancerre, so this provides a rationale behind it
2012 Rutini Wines Rutini Malbec Mendoza Argentina (14% ABV, $35, 12 months in oak, 80% new French oak, 20% new American oak)
C: dark garnet
N: licorice, a touch of tobacco, dark chocolate, blackberries, very inviting
P: fresh berries, touch dark chocolate, raspberries and blueberries, very smooth, medium body
V: 8-. I have to be very honest – this is not exactly my type of wine – however, there is a large category of wine drinkers who will be ecstatic about this wine because of its smoothness.
2012 Rutini Wines Rutini Cabernet Sauvignon Mendoza Argentina (14% ABV, $35, 14 months in oak, 50% new oak, 50% second use oak)
C: dark garnet
N: a touch of mint, fresh berries, black currant, a touch of barnyard, very interesting
P: surprisingly light and smooth, medium body (very unusual for the Cab), blackberries, vibrant acidity, good balance. Shows firmer structure after 10–15 minutes in the glass.
V: 8-, lighter style with lots of pleasure, this wine would definitely appeal to the people who prefer their reds to be not too heavy
Have you had any of the Rutini Wines, Classic Series, Trumpeter or any other? What are your thoughts?
I would like to thank kind folks at Gregory White PR for helping with the virtual interview and for providing the samples. Cheers!
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