Description
Does anyone remember when the learned wine community dictated that any "respectable" wine program must have at least 4 Gruener Veltliners on the menu? I'm not knocking a good Gruener. But do you really need 4?
Fast forward a decade - Natural wines are all the rage. Man, you haven't lived until you sit with a group of erudite wine aficionados and contemplate how "cool" a wine is because it was made from grapes cultivated on an ancient burial ground that were fermented in an unwashed Etruscan Amphora. This makes a wine interesting. But it doesn't make a good wine.
If anyone is trying to sell you a (whole bottle of) wine and the first descriptor that they use is "cool" or "interesting" JUST SAY NO.
I wasn't told that this wine was a natural wine until after I had tasted it. The conversation was something like -
Me - Ah, Willamette Pinot.
Winemaker - Yeah
Me - Damn, this is good.
Winemaker - Yeah
Me - I'll take a case.
Winemaker - Cool. Oh, by the way, this is a natural wine.
Me - Hmmm. Interesting.
So, before I say that this wine is cool or interesting -
Despite being a light-bodied wine with only 12.5% ABV, it popped in the lineup. It was expansive on the palate with fresh and vibrant red fruit, subtle spices, and a distinct minerality.
The winemaker left me with about a third of the bottle and my initial impression was reconfirmed as a kicked my shoes off and watched a couple of episodes on "Les 7 Vies de Léa" (The 7 Lives of Léa) on Netflix.
This is a natural wine that is definitely not "natty". And I am looking forward to having another bottle this weekend.