Inside IWM

The Inside Story from Italian Wine Merchants

What Is An Off Year?

Posted on | March 18, 2010 | Written by Tom Powers | No Comments

Buying wine is tricky, or at least it can feel that way. There are different regions, styles, varietals, producers and methods to consider. These factors comprise the broad differences between wines. But what about wines made from the same producer but in different years? Or what about buying wines—any wines—from years that broad consensus considers to be difficult? This murky question of vintage is the topic of this post.

When we consider the differences in a wine from one vintage to another, we may find it very difficult to ascertain the actual quality of the wine.  We have already addressed in earlier blogs how inaccurate a critic’s perspective may be, and this issue certainly poses a considerable challenge to laypeople. To add to their confusion, there is the reality that wines continue to evolve after they are released. For years the collectible wines like Barolo, First Growth Bordeaux and Grand Cru Burgundy were made with such developed tannic structure that they did not show their true majesty for years, particularly in the great vintages. Indeed in many cases, the vintages that were good to very good provided more immediate drinking satisfaction than those that would later show themselves to be great.

To add further to this confusion about drinkability, there are other external factors that can negatively affect the manner in which a wine is drinking. Delicate wines like Pinot Noir don’t like to travel. They will often go into a “dumb” or “silent” period, and they won’t show their full spectrum of components as they are adjusting to the bumping and jostling from being shipped. Then there are some people who contend that Burgundy and Barolo simply never taste as good as they do in their native land. But aside from all of these various quibbling points, the vintage variation continues to provide its own not inconsiderable challenge. Consumers are taught to look at specific vintages and typically follow that doctrine as though it were gospel. However, at IWM we hold a very different belief: we follow producers, absolutely and religiously.

We know that great winemakers will always make very good wine, even in off years. We also know that in extraordinary years there wines will provide a transcendental experience. We know that while it is helpful to be aware of vintages, it is more important to understand what role producers take in creating a wine. Because we really “get” producers, who they are, what they do, and why they do it, we are not afraid of “off” years. For one thing, we understand that wines from those vintages often provide more immediate satisfaction. We are more concerned with popular producers making consistently high alcohol, fruity, over-oaked wines. Because those are the ones we want to avoid.

To know a producer and to love his or her wine is to choose well—year in and year out.

Bookmark and Share
Category: Uncategorized
Tags: > > > >

Comments

Leave a Reply