CWD: The new wave

[Scott Kraft]

Bless you, Jeff.

 

[Claude Kolm]

A very good Brunate 1999 from M. Sebaste the other night, a new wave oenologue that, paradoxically, Zul had good things to say about. It's drinking fine now, but no hurry by any means.

 

[Bwood]

originally posted by Claude Kolm:
A very good Brunate 1999 from M. Sebaste the other night, a new wave oenologue that, paradoxically, Zul had good things to say about. It's drinking fine now, but no hurry by any means.

You now by 1999-2000 plenty of people who were at the extreme end of the new wave spectrum in the mid 1990s had totally changed or markedly moderated. Thrown away their rotofermentors and moderated on other fronts. I remember some Zul notes on some '99s and '00s in the Piemonte that crystalized that for me. I think about, for instance, some very nice remarks about a couple wines from Albino Rocca. My sense is that '95-'98 was the height of the era of some winemakers experimenting making soft, purple, underfruited sweet wines reeking of new oak and Hawaiian Tropic Suntan Oil that drank poorly young and promised to age about as well as a Behrens & Hitchcock Merlot.

 

[Scott Kraft]

I miss Zul

 

[Bwood]

originally posted by Scott Kraft:
I miss Zul

Me too. Hey, it's yet another reason to travel to Italy.

 

[Yixin]

And don't fuck off.

 

[Cristian Dezso]

originally posted by Bwood:

originally posted by Cristian Dezso:

originally posted by Levi Dalton:
'97 Percristina was also a little underwhelming.

But a lot of '97s are underwhelming.

I liked the '97 Marcarini Brunate a lot. Less so the La Serra. The Monprivato was nice too, if a bit simple.

Yeah, I liked that '97 Brunate as well. I think I already drank all of my bottles.

I think if you believe that the new wavier wines of the 90s will end up being too short on structure, that you'd generally guess their '96s might be better than their '97s.

I've had another bottle of 1997 Marcarini Brunate over Thanksgiving, and a 1997 Bartolo Mascarello over Christmas. I was underwhelmed by both. The Marcarini was nowhere near as good as the first bottle I had, and the Bartolo Mascarello was dominated by this matchstick aroma that I get in many baroli (including the Marcarini). I am not sure what this indicates: poorly stored bottle or flawed wine? I just dunno, and in any case, if either of these is the explanation, why do I get it only on baroli?

BTW, Nathan, was it you that mentioned on a thread that this matchstick smell is a flaw resulting from poor winemaking? I don't know why I recall it was you.

Also, a 1996 Altare Larigi over New Year's eve was decent. It started of a little moldy, so it might have been mildly corked, and bitter, but came together after many hours, and the pasta with butter sauce really cut the acidity. So I enjoyed it more than the other two bottles.

 

[Levi Dalton]

re: Blackwood, there are times I love me some Albino Rocca. Really love. There were rotofermenters in the cantina when I visited in 2004, though.

re: Cristian, I suspect that '96 is a really strong Altare year, modern period or not. 1996 Altare "Brunate" is a highlight of '96 for me, a year that I like a lot in general.

 

[Claude Kolm]

originally posted by Bwood:

originally posted by Claude Kolm:
A very good Brunate 1999 from M. Sebaste the other night, a new wave oenologue that, paradoxically, Zul had good things to say about. It's drinking fine now, but no hurry by any means.

You now by 1999-2000 plenty of people who were at the extreme end of the new wave spectrum in the mid 1990s had totally changed or markedly moderated. Thrown away their rotofermentors and moderated on other fronts. I remember some Zul notes on some '99s and '00s in the Piemonte that crystalized that for me. I think about, for instance, some very nice remarks about a couple wines from Albino Rocca. My sense is that '95-'98 was the height of the era of some winemakers experimenting making soft, purple, underfruited sweet wines reeking of new oak and Hawaiian Tropic Suntan Oil that drank poorly young and promised to age about as well as a Behrens & Hitchcock Merlot.

I tasted a lot of 1999 Baroli in Piemonte and most of the new wave was still pretty disgusting. By 2001 vintage, things were beginning to change, but there was still a way to go, and for some producers, still a long way to go.