Is there a difference between organic wine and organic winemaking?
Alto Adige is an autonomous region of northeast Italy, where a majority of the population speaks German and there are the occasional calls for reuniting with Austria. The wines our panel tasted seemed to reflect this schizophrenic soul.
“Organic” in winemaking usually applies to how the grapes are grown; once they’re in the winery they can suffer from the same over-manipulation that many conventional wines fall prey to. While we enjoyed many of these wines, there was a consensus that the benefits of organic grape-growing were being muted by attempts to make the wines taste more “standard.”
Particpants: Jonathan Russo (Publisher), Adam Morganstern (Editor), Evan Spingarn (The Expert), Kelli White (The Wine Salesperson), Max Cheslow (The Other Expert), Rachel Tieger (The Wine Broker) and Thecla Harris (The Dancer).
Rating system: W-wow, E-enjoy, OK-ok and KT-keep trying.
Alois Lageder 2003 Haberlehof Pinot Bianco
“Fairly tropical nose. Mango. Cotton candy. I find it interesting,” said the Salesperson. The Wine Broker agreed, adding, “very pleasant, but not overly complex.” “This is a wine that does well in tastings because the first sip is sexy, but as a food wine it has a short finish and not enough acidity to propel it,” claimed the Expert.
Overall Score: E-
Alois Lageder 2004 Benefizium Porer 2004 Pinot Grigio
“I like it a lot,” said the Expert. “It has the marine talc, seashells and other minerality I like with seafood wines. A gin and tonic with a shot of lime.” “This is a proper Pinot Grigio,” agreed the Salesperson. “It’s easy to forget it’s the same grape [as the Pinot Gris].” The Broker, however, found it too high in acid and “a little tart and unripe.”
Overall Score: E+
Manicore Reserve Della Contessa 2004
This blend of Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay produced some confusion for the panel. “This wine is a cipher,” said the Publisher. “I detect good winemaking qualities but there is no flavor or zest to identify.” The Other Expert went even further, remarking, “Why did they make this blend? Did they just have the extra juice lying around?”
The Salesperson offered a more favorable opinion: “It’s different and I kind of like it. Reminds me of a Flintstone vitamin.”
Overall Score: OK
Manicore Mason Pinot Noir 2003
This wine provoked strong reactions, with the Other Expert proclaiming “just because you make Pinot Noir doesn’t mean you have to sell it to people.” The Broker found it “heavy handed with oak” to the point where “it’s lost its varietal character. I can’t tell if this is a Pinot or a Merlot.” Upon hearing its retail price, the Dancer claimed, “I’d be very upset to pay $30 for this.”
The Publisher, however, felt “alienated” from the rest of the group. “I think this is very acceptable, and tastes favorable compared to Pinots from Oregon.” The Expert explained its failings as “an Italian wine trying to pursue the international flavor.”
Overall Score: OK-
Manicore Reserve Del Conte 2003
As the Salesperson put it, “something is going on with these wines tonight; all of them feel manipulated. On a positive note it has good fruit. Not overripe, not too slutty.” The Expert found it “over-oaked, tart, manipulated and short.”
Overall Score: KT
Alois Lageder Lagrein Alto Adige Lindenburg 2002
“Delightful, well-crafted wine that could cut through goose fat,” said the Publisher. “I like it. Very Blau Franc-ish,” agreed the Broker. “Not really feeling it,” countered the Salesperson. “It’s missing all the beautiful things like pepper and herbs.” The Other Expert found it “manipulated. They’re trying to create a style that’s more internationally appealing and cutting their noses to spite their face.” And who better than the dancer to claim, “I like it. It had legs.”
Overall Score: E+
