WTN: No longer a fan of Bevan Cellars

[Jenise]

2013 Bevan Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Dry Stack Bennett Valley
I don't get it. No one else on CT mentions bitterness, but this bottle, our second (last on Aug '16) is excessively bitter as was the first. It's not just a background note, but a dominant quinine bitterness. The second most present flavor is celery, and then Belgian endive and perhaps white grapefruit. Bottom line: this is not an enjoyable wine--and I like severe sauv blancs. But lemon grass, kiwi, peach, the things other people have noted in this wine, from Galloni to recent posters on CT? None of that in my bottles.

So I am concluding that both bottles, improbable as it is, were TCA-affected even it didn't present as traditionally as usual. Having purchased these several years ago from a retailer 120 miles away, I contacted the winery today and asked if they would replace these with the current vintage. Their response? "We're sorry you didn't like our wines." Well 'like' isn't the point. I explained that in response and sent them all the rave reviews of Bevan wines, mostly SBs, I've posted on CT--proof that it's not that I don't love their wines, and it's not that I don't understand Sauvignon Blanc, and it's not like I haven't bought quite a few of them! But no help, just another politely hostile refusal. I duke it out with Total Wine over bottles purchased eons ago and for which I don't at this point have receipts, or I forget about it, but they won't stand behind their product unless I'm on their mailing list. So, buh-bye!

[David M. Bueker]

I love Russell's Cab blends.

I hate essentially all Sauvignon Blanc. Never saw any redeeming virtue in his over anyone else's.

Honestly it sounds like the wineshop (or getting them to the wineshop) may have cooked the wines. And if I was the producer and someone brought up a bottle they consumed a year ago, I would not be all that receptive either. Sorry. I am on the side of the winery this time.

[Jenise]

I love Russell's Cab blends.

I hate essentially all Sauvignon Blanc. Never saw any redeeming virtue in his over anyone else's.

Honestly it sounds like the wineshop (or getting them to the wineshop) may have cooked the wines. And if I was the producer and someone brought up a bottle they consumed a year ago, I would not be all that receptive either. Sorry. I am on the side of the winery this time.

I think you misunderstand: I've had two defective bottles.

The note above is on the one I opened last night. But honestly, does it matter what kind of grape it is? One bad bottle's as sad as another, isn't it?

[David M. Bueker]

Buy SB, deserve what you get.

I sorely doubt it's a winery problem, given the two consecutive.

[Jenise]

Buy SB, deserve what you get.

I sorely doubt it's a winery problem, given the two consecutive.

I understand the low probability of that, but I did once have three corked bottles of syrah out of four.

[Jenise]

And btw, regardless, I would expect them to respond with concern. In fact, especially when bad bottles are sold to a prolific poster. It's not up to the consumer to know/decide where the fault occurred.

[David M. Bueker]

Not sure what to say. All my interactions have been excellent.

[Jenise]

But you're a mailing list customer where I'm just a retail customer, and apparently that's the back of the bus. This btw is the only time a producer has reacted so coldly. I probably only ask once a year for replacement, but all other requests (well, except for you know who) have been met graciously and with appropriate concern. If I have a retailer to return a bottle to, I do. But when they're 120 miles away? Not so easy.

2013 Bevan Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Dry Stack Bennett Valley
I don't get it. No one else on CT mentions bitterness, but this bottle, our second (last on Aug '16) is excessively bitter as was the first. It's not just a background note, but a dominant quinine bitterness. The second most present flavor is celery, and then Belgian endive and perhaps white grapefruit. Bottom line: this is not an enjoyable wine--and I like severe sauv blancs. But lemon grass, kiwi, peach, the things other people have noted in this wine, from Galloni to recent posters on CT? Not of that in my bottles.

So I am concluding that both bottles, improbable as it is, were TCA-affected even it didn't present as traditionally as usual. Having purchased these several years ago from a retailer 120 miles away, I contacted the winery today and asked if they would replace these with the current vintage. Their response? "We're sorry you didn't like our wines." Well 'like' isn't the point. I explained that in return and sent them all the rave reviews I've posted on CT--proof that it's not that I don't love their wines, it's not that I don't understand Sauvignon Blanc, and it's not like I haven't bought quite a few of them! But no help, just another politely hostile refusal. I duke it out with Total Wine over bottles purchased eons ago and for which I don't at this point have receipts, or I forget about it, but they won't stand behind their product unless I'm on their mailing list. So, buh-bye!

OhOh, Jenise....if you hear a knock on the door in the middle of the night and he says..."I'm Guido"...better not open
the door.

I'm not sure I'd blame TCA for the bitterness. I've tasted plenty of TCA-tainted wines over the yrs and haven't noted
bitterness as a common characteristic of TCA-infected wines. When people get a wine that they don't feel lives up to
the hype/rep, they often assert it's low-level TCA taint, or it's suffering from travel shock, or that it's just going thru a
dumb phase, or it's been mistreated during shipping, or it's not a fruit day or root day (biodynamic calendar) or the
right phase of the moon. Sometimes, just sometimes, a wine just doesn't measure up to your expectations and it's
a useless exercise to attribute it to some specific cause.
The response from the wnry was, of course, inexcusable. "Bye/bye" is the right response. There are too many good
wines out there and too many wineries who actually care for their customers.
Tom
"knock/knock"..."who's there?"..."Guido...I'm here to treat your kneecaps"!!!

[Jenise]

haven't noted bitterness as a common characteristic of TCA-infected wines.

I haven't either. I just have no other explanation for it--and I'm pretty good on detecting TCA.

But it's also true that this bottle tasted nothing like anyone else has ever described in this wine. Critical reviews and recent reports on Cellar Tracker are all fairly consistent with each other, and none of those come close to describing the nasty wine I had. This wasn't just personal taste. It's like the difference between 7-Up and Tonic Water--no one would mistake one for the other, especially the guy who bought 7-Up.

[David M. Bueker]

I really bet it was mishandled at some point.

[Jenise]

Could've been, David. But there weren't any cooked flavors here. What else could it be? It's been in my cellar for a year.

Could've been, David. But there weren't any cooked flavors here. What else could it be? It's been in my cellar for a year.

Well, Jenise...."mishandled" doesn't necessary mean overheated. It could very well be what David is
referring to is that Guido used those two btls you bought on one of his knee-capping missions and then returned
them to the shelves!!
Tom

[David M. Bueker]

Doesn't have to be 95 degrees in the Vegas sun to compromise a wine.

I've tasted Bevan's SB before and it was nothing like you've described. Not a clue to what happened to your wine.