{"id":2809,"date":"2018-08-02T22:57:10","date_gmt":"2018-08-02T22:57:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.winex.com\/stockreport\/?p=2809"},"modified":"2018-08-03T22:12:02","modified_gmt":"2018-08-03T22:12:02","slug":"random-ramblings-summer-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.winex.com\/stockreport\/2018\/08\/02\/random-ramblings-summer-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"RANDOM RAMBLINGS: SUMMER, 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"

**<\/strong>We have complained about many writers penchant to spend an inordinate amount of ink on wines that few people can afford and even fewer can get their hands on.\u00a0 This does no service to the majority of their readers and effectively serves as a de facto sales arm of the wineries they praise.\u00a0 The consumers actually suffer because the prose gives certain wineries the impetus to charge more because of the attention and other wineries to raise their prices because ‘if they<\/em> can charge that much, so can we<\/em>.’<\/p>\n

**<\/strong>Not that we have to remind people around here that it is hot outside, but there are a few things that bear repeating with respect to wine practices.\u00a0 \u00a0People chill their white wines so the only issue is how they keep them cool.\u00a0 Ice bucket is one solution, there are a number ‘keep cold’ devices on the market, and, if necessary, you can simply use a plastic ice pack in a bowl or a towel.\u00a0 Sometimes whites here start too cold, but it is better than the alternative of being to warm where the wines definitely suffer from an enjoyment standpoint.<\/p>\n

It is reds that are of greater concern.\u00a0 The old adage of serving reds at room temperature envisions cold castles in English, not the back patio in southern California or Arizona in the summer.\u00a0 Simply put, if red wine gets too warm, it doesn’t taste very good.\u00a0 If you are pulling it out of a cellar, it will be the right temperature…for a while.\u00a0 You need to think ahead and maybe set the red in a bucket of some kind with some plastic ice.\u00a0 If it is too cold (it should be somewhere between 58 and 65 degrees ideally), it will warm up soon enough.\u00a0 If it gets too warm, you can put it in the fridge, an ice bucket or in a wine sleeve.\u00a0 But the idea is to prevent it from getting too warm in the first place.\u00a0 Keep it cool.<\/p>\n

If the red is stored in some non-temperature controlled scenario, don’t be afraid to cool it down by whatever means you have.\u00a0 A half hour to 45 minutes in the fridge will work, or any of the other means we have mentioned (ice bucket, wine sleeve, etc.).\u00a0 You pay good money for your wine but extreme temperatures might require a little extra effort to let that wine show at its best.<\/p>\n

**<\/strong>Speaking of useless prose, it has been interesting to watch Advocate ex-patriot Neal Martin as he sets up shop at his new home at Vinous Media.\u00a0 \u00a0Now to be upfront, we have a pretty clear notion that ‘pay-for’ wine services should be devoted to looking at the scads of new releases on the marketplace and give the consumers who buy the service the kind of information that will help them sort it all out.<\/p>\n

We have been hyper critical about most writers penchant for going out of their way to review wines that few consumers will ever see, let alone have the chance to buy.\u00a0 That being said, Mr. Martin has taken that process to a new level.\u00a0 Here is a sample of some of his ‘pearls of wisdom’ articles currently on the Vinous site.<\/p>\n

In Excelsis: Ch\u00e2teau Latour 1887 \u2013 2010<\/em><\/p>\n

Looking Back To Go Forward: Lafite-Rothschild 1868 \u2013 2015<\/em><\/p>\n

1918 Bordeaux \u2013 100 Years On<\/em><\/p>\n

Cellar Favorite: 1961 Domaine de la Roman\u00e9e-Conti<\/em><\/p>\n

Mugneret-Gibourg: Ruchottes-Chambertin 1945 \u2013 2014<\/em><\/p>\n

Cellar Favorite: 1961 Latour-\u00e0-Pomerol<\/em><\/p>\n

Bordeaux In Excelsis (featuring historic vintages of d’Yquem, Haut-Brion, Lafite-Rothschild, Latour, Margaux, Mouton Rothschild)<\/em><\/p>\n

Bear in mind that we hold no ill will for Mr. Martin.\u00a0 We’d love to get paid to crank out such ‘topical, timely’ pieces.\u00a0 We just wonder what is the purpose of these articles?\u00a0 Going into detail about such rare, eclectic, and expensive wines is intended to do…what exactly?\u00a0 Give working data to a couple dozen collectors who might stumble across something at auction?\u00a0 Deliver the message that he has tasted such wines and you likely haven’t?\u00a0 \u00a0This is a glowing example of the kind of high-handed stuff that turns people away from wine.<\/p>\n

Thousands of people pay good money to get relevant information in a timely manner about wines on the market that they might try and enjoy.\u00a0 Many are in it to learn more. If you asked them how much they cared about reading the guy’s notes on his three-star Michelin\u00a0 dinner with a variety of one-of-a-kind bottles, we suspect the response would be pretty unenthusiastic.<\/p>\n

This individual has even deemed himself a music critic and put his notes on Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino by Arctic Monkeys and\u00a0Heaven And Earth by Kamasi Washington on your wine<\/em> website at no extra charge.\u00a0 Is this supposed to be some kind of ‘bonus content’?\u00a0 Thanks a bunch.<\/p>\n

**<\/strong>You are going to hear this repeatedly within the context of a number of articles we are and will be doing over the next 2-3 years on individual wines…in certain areas of Europe, the 2016 vintage is one of the most remarkable we have tasted in our decades in the business, in some places possibly the<\/em> greatest.<\/p>\n

There have been many exceptional vintages over time to be sure, but we can’t remember one with this unique profile.\u00a0 Yes the fruit is ripe and well meshed, the flavors true to their terroirs.\u00a0 But the wines are rich and full of character yet light on their feet. There is a unique texture, one the Aussies call ‘slippery’, and perfectly proportioned acidity.<\/p>\n

In many wine circles, a ‘great’ vintage is associated with size and density.\u00a0 These wines have the requisite size and density, but it is wrapped in a sleek package with bright acidity so they are not heavy or ponderous. Perhaps more important, there is almost another ‘gear’ evident in the finish of the best examples that suggests that they have more to give, yet they are perfectly drinkable now thanks to their striking balance.<\/p>\n

While there are fine examples from a variety of locales in Europe, we have found that most compelling and consistent areas are Bordeaux, the southern Rhone, and northern Italy (Piedmont and Tuscany).\u00a0 We have had wines from these areas in this vintage that are at another level, so good that they border on ethereal and even approach transcending\u00a0 their appellation.<\/p>\n

We realize this prose is a little hard to grasp.\u00a0 It’s hard for us, too, seeing as we have never encountered a vintage quite like this one to convey the message properly.\u00a0 If there is an easy takeaway, it is that if you have any space in your cellar, or closet, or under your bed, you need to keep your eyes open over the next few months as the 2016s roll in and be ready to grab some of them.<\/p>\n

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**We have complained about many writers penchant to spend an inordinate amount of ink on wines that few people can afford and even fewer can get their hands on.\u00a0 This does no service to the majority of their readers and effectively serves as a de facto sales arm of the wineries they praise.\u00a0 The consumers … Continue reading “RANDOM RAMBLINGS: SUMMER, 2018”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[39],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.winex.com\/stockreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2809"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.winex.com\/stockreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.winex.com\/stockreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.winex.com\/stockreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.winex.com\/stockreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2809"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.winex.com\/stockreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2809\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2815,"href":"https:\/\/www.winex.com\/stockreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2809\/revisions\/2815"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.winex.com\/stockreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2809"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.winex.com\/stockreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2809"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.winex.com\/stockreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2809"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}