Wine Archive
Archived 2-26-2008 Hi Dennis, I've been saving a bottle of 1980 Chateau Haut Brion for a special occasion. How much longer will it be drinkable? Thank you. Ralph - St. Simons Island Dear Raph, First, I'm saddened that you haven't had a special enough occasion for so many years. It's over the hill, only because 1980 was a poor vintage year. That vintage of even the 1st growth Bordeaux, which Haut Brion is, passed their prime within 12 to 15 years. Sorry, you should have pulled the cork when you bought a new car. Hey Dennis, I like Merlots. But why do they taste so different, and some are so much better than others? Thanks so much, Cindy - Jekyll Island Dear Cindy, Assuming your talking about California Merlots. If you read the labels, they will tell you where the grapes were grown. Grape source is the most important information you can get. If the label says the origin is "California", it is telling you that the grapes could come from anywhere in California, which in most cases means the grapes (and wine) were produced for quantity, not necessarily quality. This means the wine is not likely to have the specific flavors of the merlot grape, but will taste more like generic red wine. To experience the true flavors of the Merlot look for Merlot labels that identify a much narrower source, like Sonoma County. A good rule of thumb is that the more specific the source identified on the label, the more true to the specific grape flavors the wine will be. Now you might not like every Merlot, because everyone's taste preferences are different, but you will improve your chances of finding one that's good, and one you like. Hello Dennis, How can wines made from the same grape, taste so completely different? Thanks, Thomas - St. Simons Dear Thomas, There are many reasons for that. Most important is the place the grapes were grown. The same grape produces different tastes from different soil, from different climate conditions, from different clones, and on top of that, each wine maker has his/her own individual idea and goal as to how they want their wine to taste. That's the fun of discovery that enjoying wine offers. That's the fun of trying different producers of the same type of wine and experiencing the differences. You never know what you'll enjoy on your journey. |
