Question regarding "minerality"

Recently I have been tasting Muscadets and Gruener Veltliners and I am puzzled by what I am tasting. While I have no problems with the acidity, I am finding I am turned off by what I think is "minerality"; to me it tastes like I am drinking the wine out of a "Dole" fruit can. I love the white wines from Italy, particularly local Umbrian blends of Trebbiano Spoletino, Grecchetto, etc., which never provide the "Dole" can experience. Anyone else have the same experience?

Comments

Paulo, I am not sure what you are tasting that reminds you of canned Dole fruit, but It "ain't" minerality. Think of a stone from a cold mountain stream, you pick it up and clip it into your mouth, beneath your tongue. That my friend is what I think of as minerality. As a kid growing up on the farm, and doing farm work in the 50's we didn't always have access in the field to cold water. A stone picked up, and used as described above would allay thirst.

Paulo, I am not sure what you are tasting that reminds you of canned Dole fruit, but It "ain't" minerality.

Yes - I am puzzled, too. I'll have to lick a stone from a mountain stream the next time I am out in the woods! I appreciate your comments, Bob!

Don't just lick it Paulo, put it in your mouth, and <B>taste</B> it.

Don't just lick it Paulo, put it in your mouth, and <B>taste</B> it.

I'll chew it, Bob - how's that?

Paulo, I am not sure what you are tasting that reminds you of canned Dole fruit, but It "ain't" minerality.

Yes - I am puzzled, too. I'll have to lick a stone from a mountain stream the next time I am out in the woods! I appreciate your comments, Bob!

Yes, Paulo - a mountain stream. Stay away from the one's you could pick up on the shore of the Delaware River or Lake Erie.

I'd say it is time for you to upgrade your Welch's grape jelly glasses for some Reidel glasses.

I'd say it is time for you to upgrade your Welch's grape jelly glasses for some Reidel glasses.

I can always count on you to say something sweet and sensitive, caro Buckissimo!

I can always count on you to say something sweet and sensitive, caro Buckissimo!

Someone has to look out for you. It won't hurt -- pitch those
Mason jars.

The most you are likely to get from a rock itself (as opposed to algae and crud on the outside) is a salty taste, and not many rocks taste salty. Talk to a geologist - they put rocks into their mouth to help identify them, but they go more by texture than taste.

Many tasters use the term minerality in TNs, but it is often used to mean different things. Some think of it more a mouthfeel thing. Others a certain taste, which I suspect might be something to do with salt. Schuster has described the smell of rain as it hits stone as minerality - that I suspect is something to do with bacteria on the stones, which release aromas when wet. Others seem to link minerality with terroir, which I actually do not think is helpful - minerals obviously contribute to terroir but I find it difficult to believe the same minerals contribute directly to the flavours in the wine.

I assume you have read this recent article that caused much debate on the subject elsewhere on the wine internet:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/06/style ... =tmagazine

(e.g. here: http://enemyvessel.com/forum/topic.asp? ... ave+issues

and http://dat.erobertparker.com/bboard/sho ... rold+McGee)

where the consensus seems to be that there is no consensus! And as such "minerality" is vague and difficult to measure, although nonetheless widespread.

As far as the Dole Can effect, sounds like you have just been drinking some bad wines, as I would never attribute that tinned quality to good Gruners or Muscadet. But then your threshold may indeed be lower than mine.

So, who knows..

Thanks for the links - very interesting. Maybe what I am tasting has to do with quality and not minerality because what I am tasting is a huge turn off. This is what I had recently, Rahsaan:

Gruener Veltliner Federspiel Kollmuetz 2003 Machherndl - Woesendorf/Wachau - $9.99 plus 7% tax

and....

2004 Loimer Kaeferberg GV - Kamptal - $22.99 plus 7% tax

The "tinned can" taste was less apparent in the Loimer than in the Federspiel. What are you recommended producers/wines for Gruener Veltliners? I never get this with whites in Italy, no matter how simple the wine.

Federspiel...2003

Paulo, I haven't had that wine so I am just speculating a bit here. Maybe the problem was the fact it was a Federspiel in the 03 vintage. When they picked the grapes to make a federspiel (lower degree of ripeness to end up with lower alcohol), they may not have been physiologically ripe yet. Maybe the wine ended up with green flavors that gave a tinny taste. Who knows?

Try Brundlmeyer, Gobelsburg, or the fantastic quality and well priced Co-op Freie Weingartner Domaine Wachau for affordable but top notch GV.

For a splurge, Nikolaihof, Alzinger, Prager and Nigl are hard to beat.

Which Muscadets have you been drinking?

Marc