My Chronic Incarceration

O

Oswaldo Costa

Oswaldo Costa
Over the last few days I compared four Grenaches by Eric Pfifferling, two carbonic (2006 and 2007), and two conventional (also 2006 and 2007). The carbonics tasted like Morgon, the conventionals tasted like Grenache.

In addition, over the last six months, I happened upon a few other non-Gamay carbonics: syrahs from Dard & Ribo and Andrea Calek, a Cabernet Franc from Sébastien David, and two País from Clos Ouvert. All had in common the oft cited glou glou factor. More importantly, all reminded me of Morgon.

Then, of course, it hit me. What I used to think of as a characteristic of my favorite Beaujolais Gamays was, in reality, mostly a byproduct of CM. It’s not too much of a stretch, I don’t think, to say that CM made all these very different grapes taste somewhat similar, at least in my memory.

Don’t get me wrong, they were all delicious, in a supercharged Raisins Gaulois kind of way, but I feel somehow duped. Before, whenever I tasted Beaujolais that annoyed me because it seemed to want to be a Bourgogne, it was probably just a non-carbonic Beaujolais. I used to think that Gamay and Pinot tasted quite different; now I know that much of that difference comes from maceration.

What a fool I’ve been! Those of you who have known all along, thank you for not telling me! Fine lot of friends you are. Making me misperceive for all these years. I had to find out, all by myself, that I have been chronically incarcerated to carbonically macerated misconception, and nobody had the heart to tell me.
 
originally posted by Oswaldo Costa:
What a fool I’ve been! Those of you who have known all along, thank you for not telling me! Fine lot of friends you are. Making me misperceive for all these years. I had to find out, all by myself, that I have been chronically incarcerated to carbonically macerated misconception, and nobody had the heart to tell me.
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I think you just weren't listening/reading. I remember a few threads over the past year or so delving into Morgon and Eric citing the Foillard/Lapierre/Thevenet/Breton bunch as not as high in typicite as Chamonard, for exactly these reasons, although perhaps other reasons as well?
 
originally posted by Oswaldo Costa:


What a fool I’ve been! Those of you who have known all along, thank you for not telling me! Fine lot of friends you are. Making me misperceive for all these years. I had to find out, all by myself, that I have been chronically incarcerated to carbonically macerated misconception, and nobody had the heart to tell me.
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A fool? On the contrary, some lessons you just have to learn on your own.
 
originally posted by Rahsaan:
originally posted by Oswaldo Costa:
What a fool I’ve been! Those of you who have known all along, thank you for not telling me! Fine lot of friends you are. Making me misperceive for all these years. I had to find out, all by myself, that I have been chronically incarcerated to carbonically macerated misconception, and nobody had the heart to tell me.
Click to expand...

I think you just weren't listening/reading. I remember a few threads over the past year or so delving into Morgon and Eric citing the Foillard/Lapierre/Thevenet/Breton bunch as not as high in typicite as Chamonard, for exactly these reasons, although perhaps other reasons as well?
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I recall, at the Chicago Dressner tasting last Spring, Linus D. told me that he's off CM wines before he doesn't like the character it imparts. For myself, I think that, like most any other technique, there is heavy-handed and nuanced usage that can make all the difference.

Mark Lipton
 
originally posted by Oswaldo Costa:
My Chronic IncarcerationOver the last few days I compared four Grenaches by Eric Pfifferling, two carbonic (2006 and 2007), and two conventional (also 2006 and 2007). The carbonics tasted like Morgon, the conventionals tasted like Grenache.
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Such a dilemma! Authenticity or palatability?
 
AFAIK, "true" carbonic maceration means fermentation takes place within the whole berry, in a sealed container, and is quite different from a fermentation incorporating mostly whole berries, in an open container, that may or may not be enhanced with pumpover, punch down or submerged cap. Of course, it's very hard to have a pure version of CM since there's always some crushing of berries and juice and ambient yeast ready to get to work. But it makes me wonder if your is-it-Morgon-or-is-it-CM dilemma isn't related to whole berry characteristics rather than CM. Or if you're in some kind of apples-to-oranges situation, if those Grenaches were true CM and your Morgons are not.

That said, why would CM be a Morgonish characteristic for you rather than Beaujolais in general, if made by similar methods?

"I used to think that Gamay and Pinot tasted quite different; now I know that much of that difference comes from maceration."
No...they taste quite different. And yes, I say that as someone who has been "fooled" by the occasional old Moulin-a-Vent or Morgon.
 
originally posted by Christian Miller (CMM):
That said, why would CM be a Morgonish characteristic for you rather than Beaujolais in general, if made by similar methods?
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Perhaps I should have written Beaujolais in general; my Beaujolais drinking is biased towards Morgon Go4, so they have been the major formers of my current ideal.

"I used to think that Gamay and Pinot tasted quite different; now I know that much of that difference comes from maceration."
No...they taste quite different. And yes, I say that as someone who has been "fooled" by the occasional old Moulin-a-Vent or Morgon.
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Well, one could say that different PN clones taste quite different too. My point is that Gamay and PN are much closer than their most common macerations would lead is to believe. When macerated the same way, Gamay could well be more similar to PN than other "major" grapes.
 
I import a Cabernet Franc from the Anjou which sees some carbonic maceration (it was an extension of a cold soak experiment), but is finished off conventionally. It's a wine I like a lot, but is controversial because the two sommeliers who sell the most of it in Singapore like it on different days. The first day, it's quite marked by the carbonic maceration, but on the second it clears up and is quite Anjou cab franc-like.

When used judiciously, carbonic maceration is like good varnish - there's seeming clarity and purity of fruit, but you still need to scratch beneath the surface to get all that the wine has to give. And it is no substitute for the patina of a well-aged wine (copyright Tim York, I believe).
 
"ethyl cinnamate, gives strawberry and raspberry aromas. Another compound that increases is benzaldehyde, which adds cherry/kirsch aromas."

So much for pure fruit flavors. Chemicals replacing fruits, what's next, POINTS replacing wine??
 
originally posted by MarkS:
"ethyl cinnamate, gives strawberry and raspberry aromas. Another compound that increases is benzaldehyde, which adds cherry/kirsch aromas."

So much for pure fruit flavors. Chemicals replacing fruits, what's next, POINTS replacing wine??
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Errr, what do you think that you're smelling when you smell a wine, Mark? 'Tain't the alcohol, nor were it the water or tannins.

'Twas ever thus,
Mark Lipton
 
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