Tim York wrote:TomHill wrote: But there are plenty of examples of grape varieties that outperform in Calif compared to their origins in Europe.
Tom
I grant you Zinfandel/Primitivo but otherwise which ones? Different and a valid expression of the grape, yes, but outperform?
OK, Tim......but we're opening a can of worms here because we're talking about personal tastes. I would highly
recommend the Styrian Schilcher as the ideal wine to accompany worms.
It sorta depends on what I mean by "outperform". I use that term to mean I prefer/enjoy the wines from Calif, averaged over all
the examples of that variety, to those from that native area in Europe. Or, also, the best/greatest example of that variety that
I've had comes from Calif, that it's given me more pleasure than any example I've had from its original home in Europe.
Obviously, I've not had every example of a variety from Calif or Europe, so I can only rely on the data points I have,
the limited number of those wines I've tried. And certainly you have to include the price as a factor.
And then there are those folks who are passionate about the European original varieties and totally dismiss any examples
from Calif because they don't smell/taste the same as the original European versions. They are "different" and, ergo, not
as good as the original versions. There are folks who would never think of trying/drinking a Calif Pinot because it's "different"
from RedBurg. Or a Calif Nebbiolo (or a Valtelline Nebb) because it's "different" from any from the Langhe. And if someone
comes along and says a Calif Pinot is "world class", they construe as an attack on their favored RedBurgs.
Clearly the example you cite, Zinfandel/Primitivo/Tribidrag, is a good one. I've yet to have a Puglia Primitivo or Croatian
Tribidrag that holds a candle to most any from Calif. But there are those that like the bretty/unclean/barnyardy character
of Apulia Primitivo and would argue this point.
And I would say that PetiteSirah/Durif/Peloursin is another example. Most any from Calif I've had are far superior to any of the
few I've had from France.
I would say, on average, the Vermentinos from Calif are outperforming any of those from Sardinia or the Langhe.
The Rymes, the TablasCreek, the EdmundsStJohn give me more pleasure than most any from the European versions.
The Harrington Lagrein is "better" than any I've had from the AltoAdige. The Ryme Aglianico is better than any I've
had from Compania/Basilicata. The Lagier-Meredith Mondeuse is better than any I've had from Savoie. The Idlewild
Arneis and Cortese is better than any from Piemonte, on average, I've had. When it comes to Gruner, those of Austria
are clearly on the top of the heap. But you can find plenty of dull/washed-out Austrian Gruners out there. The Carlisle
Gruner, maybe the Solminer, measure up to most that I've had from Austria...though that point is disputed by some.
Viognier?? The greatest Viogniers I've had are from Condrieu. But, on average, $ for $, I prefer many of the Viogniers from Calif.
Failla/TablasCreek/Ojai/Jaffurs are a few who come to mind. Same story on Roussanne. The greatest I've had come
from Hermitage. But, $ for $, I'd go with a Calif Roussanne any day.
So let's go out onto thin ice here and talk PinotNoir. The greatest examples of PinotNoir I've had, many a year ago, have
been RedBurgs. But I'm unwilling to spend $300-$800/btl to get a RedBurg/Pinot that I truly enjoy and blown away by.
I would rather spend $30-$50-$70/btl for a Calif Pinot that I can enjoy almost equally well. I would argue that, to my taste,
Calif Pinot outperforms RedBurg in that price range.
So lets go waaay out on a limb and talk something near & dear to your heart, Tim. Nebbiolo. I would say, easily, that the
greatest examples of Nebbiolo I've had have been from Barolo/Barbaresco. I've yet to have a Calif version that measures
up to those heights...yet. But I get more enjoyment from drinking a Castelli Nebb at $30, at this point in time, than any B/B
that I've tried at that price point. And if you include that vast sea of Langhe Nebb at that price point, I'd still go with the
Castelli or the DueVigne. To my palate, I just don't get a great deal of pleasure from drinking Langhe Nebb. In fact, to my
palate, the best examples of Nebb, $ for $, come not from the Langhe, but from the Valtelline and the Val d'Ossola and
the Alto Piemonte. But this is just my palate and, after all, I prefer to drink what I like. I love the perfume of Langhe Nebb...
I just have a hard time enjoying those hard/bitey/astringent tannins some many show on the palate.
And I'm not even going to wade into the morass of talking Cabernet vs. RedBdx.
So...my thoughts (long/boring) on that subject.
Tom
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