wine/winemaker comparisons

J

Jeff Grossman

Jeff Grossman
Has anybody actually tasted through a wine-making comparison? I'm talking about the kind of thing where several estates arrange to swap vineyard-designated fruit with each other, make wine, and then take notes on nature vs nurture.

(This was prompted by an email blurb I just got for one such, but I know there are or have been many.)
 
When Tres Sabores in Napa started out, they offered three Zinfandels made by three different winemakers from grapes from the same vineyard. It's not quite what you are describing but similar in spirit.
 
originally posted by Zachary Ross:
When Tres Sabores in Napa started out, they offered three Zinfandels made by three different winemakers from grapes from the same vineyard. It's not quite what you are describing but similar in spirit.
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How were they?
 
They were unexceptional bottles of Zinfandel, though each was quite different from the other because of elevage, etc. The winemakers' imprints were strong. To the extent that anything was the same among them it was 'ripe Napa Zin.'
 
Dunno if it applies, but NOPA in San Francisco was pouring a Demuth Vineyard Chardonnay comparison by the glass last night. There were three different wineries, Lioco, Knez, and Anthill. It's on their current drinks menu so I imagine it'll be around for a bit. I was on a vieux carre kick so I didn't pay much attention...
 
originally posted by John Donaghue:
Dunno if it applies, but NOPA in San Francisco was pouring a Demuth Vineyard Chardonnay comparison by the glass last night. There were three different wineries, Lioco, Knez, and Anthill. It's on their current drinks menu so I imagine it'll be around for a bit. I was on a vieux carre kick so I didn't pay much attention...
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Yes, that's the sort of thing.
 
Vare Vineyard Ribolla Gialla in Napa -- Ryme Cellars, Forlorn Hope, Arnot-Roberts, Matthiasson have all made wine -- not sure all have been produced in all vintages, but I just got my hands on some Ryme and Arnot-Roberts from 2009 and I know both also made them in 2012.
 
There are a few people making Trousseau gris from the Fanucchi Vineyard, too. Maybe Hirsch as well? I don't know much about the Hirsch vineyard, but the blocks seem to be quite a bit different from one another, so winery to winery comparisons might be tough.

Bechtold Vineyard Cinsault is an obvious one - Clos Saron, Turley, Birichino, Scholium, Two Sheperds, etc etc etc. And other Lodi vineyards might work, too, like Terra Alta in Clements and some of the other vineyards farmed by Bokisch.

Shake Ridge sells to a few different places, do they not?
 
originally posted by Nick Bumstead:
Vare Vineyard Ribolla Gialla in Napa -- Ryme Cellars, Forlorn Hope, Arnot-Roberts, Matthiasson have all made wine -- not sure all have been produced in all vintages, but I just got my hands on some Ryme and Arnot-Roberts from 2009 and I know both also made them in 2012.
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Oh, that's very interesting. Do post impressions.
 
All over Burgundy this kinda/sorta thing has been possible for, like, forever, no? And Alsace, Beaujolais, the northern Rhone, the Loire. Germany, for sure. Piemonte, definitely. Etc.
 
originally posted by JSchwartze:
Old Hat in Ye Olde WorldAll over Burgundy this kinda/sorta thing has been possible for, like, forever, no? And Alsace, Beaujolais, the northern Rhone, the Loire. Germany, for sure. Piemonte, definitely. Etc.
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Yes and no. As John said, the blocks vary. In the most storied vineyards there is great variance even from row to row! That's why my original question was not about sourcing but about wineries that exchange fruit -- I'm trying to filter out the differences in terroir in order to emphasize the distinctions of hand/land.
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
originally posted by JSchwartze:
Old Hat in Ye Olde WorldAll over Burgundy this kinda/sorta thing has been possible for, like, forever, no? And Alsace, Beaujolais, the northern Rhone, the Loire. Germany, for sure. Piemonte, definitely. Etc.
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Yes and no. As John said, the blocks vary. In the most storied vineyards there is great variance even from row to row! That's why my original question was not about sourcing but about wineries that exchange fruit -- I'm trying to filter out the differences in terroir in order to emphasize the distinctions of hand/land.
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Shea? They make a lot of wine themselves but seem to sell to pretty much everyone. Cargasacchi? Melville? Zotovich? Same deal. Interesting exercise.
 
Red Hook winery brings in fruit and then makes wine with two different protocols one by Abe Schoener and the other by Bob Foley. I can't think of a better way to do this comparison since the fruit is exactly the same the difference in the wine is 100% attributable to winemaking.

Also Ryme makes a his and hers Vermentino in two different styles one is skin fermented.

Hers

His
 
originally posted by Robert Dentice:
Red Hook winery brings in fruit and then makes wine with two different protocols one by Abe Schoener and the other by Bob Foley. I can't think of a better way to do this comparison since the fruit is exactly the same the difference in the wine is 100% attributable to winemaking.
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Oh, that's right. Joe and I went to Red Hook and tasted them in the spring of 2013. It was very interesting to taste them against one another.

But I think we went down the beanbag chair rabbit hole.
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
originally posted by JSchwartze:
Old Hat in Ye Olde WorldAll over Burgundy this kinda/sorta thing has been possible for, like, forever, no? And Alsace, Beaujolais, the northern Rhone, the Loire. Germany, for sure. Piemonte, definitely. Etc.
Click to expand...
Yes and no. As John said, the blocks vary. In the most storied vineyards there is great variance even from row to row! That's why my original question was not about sourcing but about wineries that exchange fruit -- I'm trying to filter out the differences in terroir in order to emphasize the distinctions of hand/land.
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But who does one know if fruit is 'exchanged' versus being sold whatever is harvested at a particular time? I would think most grapes were picked at different times for different wineries due to logistical reasons, and - if so - you've got the 'vineyard block' problem again.
 
The Cargasacchi vineyard is a single plot planted to a single pinot clone, 115. Probably something like a dozen wineries get fruit from the site (and Peter Cargasacchi makes his own wine from it as well) so that narrows the variables down a little. But the winery customers do work with their own sections and dictate vine care, yield and picking times so maybe not enough.
 
originally posted by MarkS:
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
originally posted by JSchwartze:
Old Hat in Ye Olde WorldAll over Burgundy this kinda/sorta thing has been possible for, like, forever, no? And Alsace, Beaujolais, the northern Rhone, the Loire. Germany, for sure. Piemonte, definitely. Etc.
Click to expand...
Yes and no. As John said, the blocks vary. In the most storied vineyards there is great variance even from row to row! That's why my original question was not about sourcing but about wineries that exchange fruit -- I'm trying to filter out the differences in terroir in order to emphasize the distinctions of hand/land.
Click to expand...

But who does one know if fruit is 'exchanged' versus being sold whatever is harvested at a particular time? I would think most grapes were picked at different times for different wineries due to logistical reasons, and - if so - you've got the 'vineyard block' problem again.
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As the winemakers themselves are interested in the experiment one can hope that they control what they can. Giving everybody an equal chunk of each trie seems like an easy one.
 
originally posted by Robert Dentice:
Red Hook winery brings in fruit and then makes wine with two different protocols one by Abe Schoener and the other by Bob Foley. I can't think of a better way to do this comparison since the fruit is exactly the same the difference in the wine is 100% attributable to winemaking.

Also Ryme makes a his and hers Vermentino in two different styles one is skin fermented.
Hers
His
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Interesting! Thank you, Robert. Have you had any of these?
 
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