On the Dle

T

Thor

Thor Iverson
Gilliard 2006 Dle des Monts Blanc (Valais) The memory of white alpine flowers, fragrant and inextricable from the cold minerality underneath, promises much. But theres a blocky lack of crispness that just doesnt match the wines aromatic topnotes, and while its a pleasant drink, in the end it just doesnt amount to much. Also, theres the usual Swiss markup, which makes it a poor value as well. [And also, see below, re: this wine's strange labeling.](7/09)

Gilliard 2006 Dle des Monts Rouge (Valais) Sticky but light pinkish-red fruit, leaning towards candy but not quite getting there, with a great deal of succulent minerality and a fine, cohesive finish. That said, theres a sourness that puckers, and combined with the Froot the whole thing comes off worked (which I kinda doubt it is, though Im not certain). Iffy. (7/09)

Tegernseerhof 2007 Zweigelt Ros (Loweraustria) Slightly bitter and green, with some Canned Froot Drink character. Uninteresting. (7/09)
 
I'm a little disconcerted by your notes on the Swiss white wine. Dle is the traditional name of the most classic red blend in the Valais: usually, 75-80% pinot noir, the rest gamay. This yields light red wines; when a vat of Dle is bled to improve concentration, the byproduct is a 'saigne' ros - an extremely pale 'oeil de perdrix' wine. But I don't know any truly white Dle. Are you sure the white wine wasn't one of Gilliard's two basic whites, a fendant (chasselas) and a johannisberg (silvaner)? I'd say, more likely the fendant, Les Murettes (because the silvaner is semi-sweet.)
 
That's what I thought when I was drinking it, but I figured I'd forgotten something. The confusion turned to bafflement when I got online and tried to find info on the wine, which apparently does not exist outside my bottle. But I reconfirmed the front label before I wrote the note.

The back label indicates that, indeed, it's the fendant. I can't explain the front label at all. I'd call it an accidental mislabeling, except that it's not the same as the label on the rouge...that's black, this one's white...and, as you say, a label for a white Dle shouldn't, by my understanding, exist. It's the same design as the Murettes bottling, but it most definitely doesn't say Murettes.

I should add this info to the note, just so there's no additional confusion. But you're right to wonder about the nomenclature. As I said, I have no explanation.
 
Well, then, possibly they've created this 'Dle blanc' brand for the fendant on the export markets only - to keep things simple and avoid lengthy strange names in French. Just like those wonderful Spanish brands that aren't known or sold in Spain but get 96 points in the Wine Advocate and something like 75 points from customers... ;-)
 
originally posted by VS:
Just like those wonderful Spanish brands that aren't known or sold in Spain but get 96 points in the Wine Advocate and something like 75 points from customers... ;-)
Click to expand...

Are you sure that those brands are truly Spanish, Victor? Given all of the uncertainty and (alleged) chicanery associated with this venture, I can't help wondering whether they wouldn't venture across the Straits for an additional cost savings.

Just a suggestion,
Mark Lipton
 
originally posted by MLipton:
originally posted by VS:
Just like those wonderful Spanish brands that aren't known or sold in Spain but get 96 points in the Wine Advocate and something like 75 points from customers... ;-)
Click to expand...

Are you sure that those brands are truly Spanish, Victor? Given all of the uncertainty and (alleged) chicanery associated with this venture, I can't help wondering whether they wouldn't venture across the Straits for an additional cost savings.

Just a suggestion,
Mark Lipton
Click to expand...

Is there really that much wine being grown in north africa these days? I mean the statisics I just looked up put morocco, algeria, and tunisia together at like 15% of spanish acreage. I'm sure that stuff is really cheap to produce. (I know it was very cheap by taste, at least in morocco) But there's plenty of cheap wine in Spain, no? It is #1 by acreage, I don't know about by volume.

curious,

Kevin
 
Well, I know that, ungloriously, this wine is quite Spanish. And not only bad - rather expensive, too.

But I'm also pretty sure that the bottles sent to be tasted for publication were very good in a muscular Spanish way!
 
originally posted by Kevin Roberts:
I don't know about by volume.
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Spain is third behind France and Italy. (Some vintages, Italy and France.) Not by much anymore, with the increase in Spanish production. But if only bottled wine is taken into account, the distance increases dramatically. Spain is the world's leading bulk wine producer, most of which is exported.

Where to, I hear you asking?

Mostly, France and Italy.
 
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