Vintage still matters

The growing conditions in any given year can vary wildly by region and versus previous or subsequent years. We understand too though the argument of buying producer over vintage. There are some wineries and winemakers who figure out a way to make good wine no matter how challenging the conditions. Even for this top tier of producers though and more so for all the rest of the winemakers vintage matters, it is why wines taste different from every year. They may still all be good wines but they will be different, and therefore may not appeal to your palate in the same way.

We had two great examples of just how much growing conditions can impact a wine this week in the shop. As our readers know we taste every wine every year before we put it on our shelves. A month or so back we had tried a wine from Montepulciano for possible inclusion in our high end wine club, The Sommelier Club, the wine was from 2011. While both 2010 and 2011 were challenging years in the Western United States, they were great years in Europe, especially in Northern Italy. We loved the Montepulciano we tried from 2011; sadly there was not enough of the wine to meet the needs of our “Som Club.” We would have to wait for a sample of the 2012 before we could decide.

It arrived with the distributor this week. We tried it and again sadly it was not the same wine. It was still good, but the 2012 version was tannic and tight. It took much coaxing to get the lovely layered fruit we remembered from the 2011 to appear and even then it lacked the depth and richness we loved in the previous year. We passed and are still on the search for our next “Som Club” wine.

For our other wine club we had chosen a 2012 Pinot Noir from Napa. 2012 was an epic year across the appellations of the west. Long season near perfect conditions and no damaging rains at harvest created one of the best years ever. When our distributor checked the wine from the winery it turned out there was only one case of the ’12, the rest was all ’13. 2013 was nearly as good, perhaps a bit cooler and the crop was not quite as large but still a great year. We tasted the ’13 and wow! We liked it better, a bit fresher, a little more acid holding together the opulent cherry fruit and morel mushroom characteristics. We kept it in the club but with the newer fresher 2013 version.

The importance of vintage is why restaurant wine lists need to be up to date on the year of the wine. It is also why the bottle is presented to you when it is brought table side by your server or the sommelier so that you can check the year. If you order a wine that is listed as a specific year and it arrives at the table from a different vintage you should always be offered the chance to reconsider. It is also why shelf talkers are important in a retail shop. We write most of our own shelf talkers here at the dinner party opting for our opinion of the wine over the marketing versions provided by the winery, the importer or distributor that inevitably boast a high score from this publication or that wine writer.

While we all have our favorite wineries and for those favorites can feel comfortable buying them year in and year out vintage is still important. The best way to avoid pitfalls when buying wine, even from those favored producers is to know which were the toughest years in any region. When you know those you can exercise due caution and avoid unpleasant surprises by the case load.

Your other option is to check with your favorite wine professional when a vintage changes. Whether it is the sommelier in your favorite restaurant or the wine professional in your favorite shop we can all help with knowing the best years and the ones that command caution.

If there is a topic you would like to read about or if you have questions on wine, you can email George@thedinnerpartyshop.com, or make suggestions by contacting the Healthy Community section at the Coeur d’Alene Press.

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George Balling is co-owner (with his wife Mary Lancaster) of the dinner party, a wine and table top décor shop located by Costco in Coeur d’Alene. George worked as a judge in many wine competitions, and his articles are published around the country. You can learn more about the dinner party at www.thedinnerpartyshop.com. Be sure and check out our weekly blog at www.thedinnerpartyshop.com/home/blog-2 You can get all of these articles as well as other great wine tips by friending us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/#!/dinnerpartyshop.