Poll: Which region in France makes the best village-level wine?

S

SteveTimko

Steve Timko
Thought I poll members and get their thoughts.
And rate the village level wines based on median. So considering only the best village-level wine from Burgundy does not count.

Which region in France has the best village level wines
( surveys)
 
originally posted by Jonathan Loesberg:
Oooh. Polls! Is this the first poll ever on either Therapy or Disorder? Let's do more polls!
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Let's not be hasty here. Perhaps we should do a poll on the issue?
 
originally posted by Jay Miller:
originally posted by Jonathan Loesberg:
Oooh. Polls! Is this the first poll ever on either Therapy or Disorder? Let's do more polls!
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Let's not be hasty here. Perhaps we should do a poll on the issue?
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I love it when you make Jonathan's point - how sly you are.
Best, Jim
 
originally posted by SteveTimko:
Is there a problem with polls? I don't understand that.
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Reaching a consensus on this board is like trying to plow the ocean.
But we do have fun . . .
No, there's nothing wrong with polls but they are still fair game; yes?
Best, Jim
 
originally posted by Jeff Connell:
What is a village-level wine?
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A wine I like that's cheaper than a more expensive wine I like. Now that we do polls, let's not go in the direction of calling every poll a flawed poll, especially since that implies there is an unflawed poll of some kind. Just define the terms so they work for you and vote. Early and often.
 
originally posted by Jonathan Loesberg:
originally posted by Jeff Connell:
What is a village-level wine?
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A wine I like that's cheaper than a more expensive wine I like. Now that we do polls, let's not go in the direction of calling every poll a flawed poll, especially since that implies there is an unflawed poll of some kind. Just define the terms so they work for you and vote. Early and often.
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This village-level thing still means nothing to me, at least outside Burgundy. Saint-milion, Chteauneuf-du-Pape and Ampuis are three nice vllages - would that qualify La Mondotte, Rayas and Jamet as 'village-level wines'?
 
originally posted by Jonathan Loesberg:
originally posted by Jeff Connell:
What is a village-level wine?
Click to expand...

A wine I like that's cheaper than a more expensive wine I like. Now that we do polls, let's not go in the direction of calling every poll a flawed poll, especially since that implies there is an unflawed poll of some kind. Just define the terms so they work for you and vote. Early and often.
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I will heed your advice, and infer that you also mean not to go in the direction of calling no poll a flawed poll - and damn the flaws anyway. I vote for wines that Jonathan likes if they are cheaper than a more expensive wine that he likes. I vote for village-level wines!
 
My vote was for Rhone and I wondered what other board members thought. I think that Chateaneuf-du-pape, Gigondas, Cornas, Cote Rotie and Hermitage often produce cru-caliber wines even though technically they may not be from a single vineyard.
I love wines from the Alsace but let's face it a lot of these $12 grand crus are just not impressive.
 
originally posted by SteveTimko:
My vote was for Rhone and I wondered what other board members thought. I think that Chateaneuf-du-pape, Gigondas, Cornas, Cote Rotie and Hermitage often produce cru-caliber wines even though technically they may not be from a single vineyard.
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I don't think it's fair to call Cote Rotie a 'village' wine even if it is not from one specific vineyard. At least not if the implicit comparison is with 'village' wines from Burgundy.

And definitely not in Hermitage. In neither of these places is the single-vineyard bottling fetish as well developed as in Burgundy.
 
originally posted by Rahsaan:

I don't think it's fair to call Cote Rotie a 'village' wine even if it is not from one specific vineyard. At least not if the implicit comparison is with 'village' wines from Burgundy.

And definitely not in Hermitage. In neither of these places is the single-vineyard bottling fetish as well developed as in Burgundy.
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That was my reaction, too. Cote Rotie, to take an example, is not a village at all, but rather an AOC that comprises several villages (Ampuis, St. Cyr-sur-Rhne and Tupin-Semons). Victor's point is the essential one: village-level as a measure of quality loses most of its meaning outside of Burgundy, where the stratification between GC, PC and village is clearcut.

Mark Lipton
 
originally posted by Chris Coad:

Is Vouvray a 'Village Wine'? And Savennires? If so, I vote Loire.
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Savennires maybe, but my understanding is that most Vouvray grapes go into some truly horrific sparkling wine. If we can't say Gevrey, and we can't say Pauillac, I wish I could say Barbaresco on the strength of a 2004 from the co-op tasted tonight. Or maybe Weissenkirchen. But it's someplace rich, with a high price for the wine, where the overall standard is pretty good. Maybe Sancerre in the Loire? It sure ain't someplace where most growers are getting E2 for a bottle, because the work to produce good wine, and any capital or opportunity cost for the land will keep you from living up to any standard.

 Maybe in the Jura?
 
my understanding is that most Vouvray grapes go into some truly horrific sparkling wine.
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Sure, but how does that disqualify Vouvray as Village Wine? If most of a Village's grapes go to make bad fizz, are the ones that don't any less Villagey?
 
originally posted by Chris Coad:
my understanding is that most Vouvray grapes go into some truly horrific sparkling wine.
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Sure, but how does that disqualify Vouvray as Village Wine? If most of a Village's grapes go to make bad fizz, are the ones that don't any less Villagey?
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Oh, I think it says "Vouvray" on most of those labels.

But I don't think I am fully in touch with the true spirit of "Village Wine."
 
Okay, now I'm a little lost. Assuming Vouvray is village wine, why would it not say 'Vouvray' on bottles of Vouvray? Doesn't the name of the Village go on the bottle?
 
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