When labels let you down (inc. two Rousseaus)

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Oswaldo Costa

Oswaldo Costa
Last night we visited an art and wine collector who invited a group of friends over to see his prizes. He generously opened a pair of noble savages from Rousseau.

1998 Joseph Drouhin (Marquis de Laguiche) Montrachet 13.5%
As the most oenologically unhinged person present, all eyes are on me as I assess for premox. Alas, it was thusly so. The host anxiously asked "but is it still drinkable?" Ever the gentleman, I say "yes," while kicking my internalized mother (the backup was a 90s Comte Lafon Meursault). Well, it wasnt so oxidized that it couldnt be appreciated for its class. White flowers and pine resin aromas, lovely texture and unctuosity, combining lightness with richness as only aristo white burgs can. All under wraps. Sigh.

2005 Jacques Prieur Beaune Champs Pimont 13.0%
Sour cherry and iron/iodine aromas. Salty, good texture, unobtrusive oak, civilized alcohol, good acid/sweet balance, but become acidic in the finish as the acid outruns the fruit. May be closing down.

1998 Armand Rousseau Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St. Jacques 13.0%
Murky color. To those familiar with the armpit of a skunk in heat, this didn't smell like that. But it was very bretty, and the yeasty critters never conceded the ground beneath defeat. Clearly present under the funk was some seriously regal cherry. While the flaw irredeemably compromised the nose, the mouth texture was silky and sumptuous, smooth like fine gloves, with exquisite acid/sweet balance and the ideal bitter finish. Could have been a contender.

1999 Armand Rousseau Clos de la Roche Grand Cru 13.0%
Clear color. Tight nose of cherry, leather and light funk. Also silky smooth, with a pleasant bitter finish and excellent acid/sweet balance. Superb ossature and tonus, should evolve into quite a smeller, but is presently a bit ungiving. While it did not show itself categorically superior to what the Clos St. Jacques should have been, by virtue of being uncompromised it beat it by a nose.

All in all, a frustrating experience, none of the wines having been caught in their ideal places, either too young or compromised by faulty structural of packaging issues.
 
I found the Vatican museum to be like that... so-so works from the very best roster of artists. Not that I'd complain about owning any work by Titian, say, but I can't help imagining that paying patrons provided more motivation.
 
originally posted by Oswaldo Costa:
1998 Joseph Drouhin (Marquis de Laguiche) Montrachet 13.5%
As the most oenologically unhinged person present, all eyes are on me as I assess for premox. Alas, it was thusly so. The host anxiously asked "but is it still drinkable?" Ever the gentleman, I say "yes," while kicking my internalized mother (the backup was a 90s Comte Lafon Meursault). Well, it wasnt so oxidized that it couldnt be appreciated for its class. White flowers and pine resin aromas, lovely texture and unctuosity, combining lightness with richness as only aristo white burgs can. All under wraps. Sigh.
Click to expand...

Actually, there could be a myriad of other problems with this that aren't pre-mox. There was hail and rot in 98. What was the provenance like?

I think that people ascribe pre-mox to a whole host of things that are different issues.
 
originally posted by VLM:
originally posted by Oswaldo Costa:
1998 Joseph Drouhin (Marquis de Laguiche) Montrachet 13.5%
As the most oenologically unhinged person present, all eyes are on me as I assess for premox. Alas, it was thusly so. The host anxiously asked "but is it still drinkable?" Ever the gentleman, I say "yes," while kicking my internalized mother (the backup was a 90s Comte Lafon Meursault). Well, it wasnt so oxidized that it couldnt be appreciated for its class. White flowers and pine resin aromas, lovely texture and unctuosity, combining lightness with richness as only aristo white burgs can. All under wraps. Sigh.
Click to expand...

Actually, there could be a myriad of other problems with this that aren't pre-mox. There was hail and rot in 98. What was the provenance like?

I think that people ascribe pre-mox to a whole host of things that are different issues.
Click to expand...

It came from the Brazilian importer, and he's had it for five years. Alas, it was a crystal clear case of premox.
 
I think what VLM is implying, and I tend to agree, is that 98 whites may have some underlying premox issues, nothing to do with random closure (or whatever the reason is) effects observed in a number of surrounding vintages.
 
The visually acceptable condition of corks has had almost zero to do with the pre-mox phenomenon (accepting that there are some lousy corks out there, but that's always been true).
 
originally posted by David M. Bueker:
The visually acceptable condition of corks has had almost zero to do with the pre-mox phenomenon (accepting that there are some lousy corks out there, but that's always been true).
Click to expand...

Exactly, and that follows from the prior assumption that corks themselves have almost zero to do with pre-mox.
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
I found the Vatican museum to be like that... so-so works from the very best roster of artists. Not that I'd complain about owning any work by Titian, say, but I can't help imagining that paying patrons provided more motivation.
Click to expand...

My impression, after walking through hall upon hall, past thousands of paintings, vases, tapestries, etc., was that the Vatican was the equivalent of the vacuum-like all consuming force in the universe, known as "V-ger", in the first Star Trek movie. Astounding for it's collecting force alone in terms of the power it exudes. Taste seemed secondary to the immense volume.
 
"Prem-ox" doesn't work because the eye reads it to sound "PREMM" instead of "PREME." I suggest unhyphenated "premox," or, of course, the "pox."
 
Your pree-muh-chure is another man's preh-muh-chure is another man's preh-muh-tour.

If you're going to use a hyphen it really should be prem-ox not pre-mox. But I tend to write premox and pronounce with the soft e, "prehmox" which is just easier to say.
 
I agree with Josh, premature oxidation cannot possibly be pre-mox in a fair world, but I'll take anything as long as we don't call them preemies.
 
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