Barroche Pure, 06

[MLipton]

originally posted by Jonathan Loesberg:

It was Julien who found the green in the Dominus, not me. As I said, the green was slight in the La Jota and I didn't mind it. Indeed, if I had been drinking the La Jota on its own as the wine Gail and I had been sharing of an evening, I would have been quite happy with it. All comparisons are invidious.

I would think that anyone who's finding a green streak in modern-era Napa Cabs has their standard set far to the riper side of that held by most denizens here (even that small subset who still drink Napa Cabs). Personally, my worries with a La Jota Cab are far different than whether it would seem green.

Capsicumophilically,
Mark Lipton

 

[VLM]

originally posted by slaton:

originally posted by Jay Miller:
Really, I think Keith and I are the only people in town who dislike grenache in general.

I seem to have become a card-carrying member of this club over the past year or so. Still hanging onto a few bottles of 2001 Clos des Papes and some of Eric's CdRV-St Gervais out of curiosity, though.

I founded the Durham club.

I can like grenache based wines just fine, I just don't find them that useful or worthy of high praise. Serviceable and good, sure, but not really capable of greatness.

 

[VLM]

originally posted by MLipton:
I would think that anyone who's finding a green streak in modern-era Napa Cabs has their standard set far to the riper side of that held by most denizens here (even that small subset who still drink Napa Cabs). Personally, my worries with a La Jota Cab are far different than whether it would seem green.

Capsicumophilically,
Mark Lipton

I don't know what people mean by green. Bell pepper is very close to cherry, probably chemically as well, but I can't recall.

Herbaciousness is a natural expression of cabernet wines, both franc and sauvignon.

I think people use the term "green" to describe things they don't like as if it were a flaw.

 

[SFJoe]

I don't think of cherry as having much in the way of pyrazines.

 

[Ben Sherwin]

originally posted by VLM:
I think people use the term "green" to describe things they don't like as if it were a flaw.

People do that with "ripe" as well.

I'm not sure of the chemistry, but there is a chemical difference between green bell peppers and the ripe red, yellow or orange ones. I don't think they are anything like cherries (or did you mean cherry peppers).

 

[VLM]

originally posted by SFJoe:
I don't think of cherry as having much in the way of pyrazines.

In my graduate school days, going some psychophysics on olfaction, I used an odorant compound that could be cherry-ish or grassy depending on dilution, amyl-acetate maybe?

Anyway, I have experienced the same thing with cabernet based wines, sometimes cherry-bell pepper is a a non-obvious threshold thing.

I don't know any of this, it is all supposition.

 

[VLM]

originally posted by Ben Sherwin:

originally posted by VLM:
I think people use the term "green" to describe things they don't like as if it were a flaw.

People do that with "ripe" as well.

Sure.

I'm not sure of the chemistry, but there is a chemical difference between green bell peppers and the ripe red, yellow or orange ones.

Sure.

I don't think they are anything like cherries (or did you mean cherry peppers).

Well, a "cherry" note in a wine's aroma doesn't have anything to do with actual cherries either.

This is a bit sideways, but I guess my general point is that a bit of herbaciousness is endemic to cabernet and is even desired.

 

[Ben Sherwin]

originally posted by VLM:
This is a bit sideways, but I guess my general point is that a bit of herbaciousness is endemic to cabernet and is even desired.

Sure

 

[Ben Sherwin]

We appear to be in complete agreement. That's no fun.

 

[SFJoe]

originally posted by VLM:

This is a bit sideways, but I guess my general point is that a bit of herbaciousness is endemic to cabernet and is even desired.

Amen. And the efforts to stamp it out give rise to some of the worst sins in modern wine.

 

[MLipton]

originally posted by SFJoe:

originally posted by VLM:

This is a bit sideways, but I guess my general point is that a bit of herbaciousness is endemic to cabernet and is even desired.

Amen. And the efforts to stamp it out give rise to some of the worst sins in modern wine.

I agree completely. Considering what is now known about Cabernet Sauvignon's parentage, it would be far more surprising (not to mention unnatural) for it not to display any herbal notes.

Fra Mendel