Comments on: The Real Dirt on the Parker Theory and Chateau Al Gore http://wineeconomist.com/2012/04/10/the-real-dirt-on-the-parker-theory-and-chateau-al-gore/ Tue, 21 May 2013 17:14:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Mark Clouse http://wineeconomist.com/2012/04/10/the-real-dirt-on-the-parker-theory-and-chateau-al-gore/#comment-3833 Tue, 24 Apr 2012 17:31:56 +0000 http://wineeconomist.com/?p=5331#comment-3833 I think it is entirely a stylistic influence with the excess alchol being more of a consequence/flaw. The winemakers and vineyardists choose when to pick and how to process! But in the same sense, I don’t think this is a negative or a positive. Winemaking is a business and they are trying to attract a market. Robert Parker may get the 1st bottle sold, but he doesn’t get the 2nd or case sold (at least by a decerning consumer). It’s just a style that attracts alot of attension because of it’s boldness, best suited to entertaining with hors d’oeuvres, but somewhat too bold to pair win the entrée in most cases. IMO

]]> By: Tim Martinson http://wineeconomist.com/2012/04/10/the-real-dirt-on-the-parker-theory-and-chateau-al-gore/#comment-3816 Thu, 19 Apr 2012 14:30:16 +0000 http://wineeconomist.com/?p=5331#comment-3816 I agree about the stylistic imperatives and fear of ‘greenness’ driving the delay in harvest and higher brix levels. Global warming doesn’t cut it – as the photosynthetic ‘output’ of the leaves doesn’t increase beyond a certain temperature – and so many intervening changes in practice would dwarf this effect. The rootstock hypothesis – particularly the reduction in grapevine leafroll virus with vine replacement – sounds more compelling. On the other hand, some of the replanting involved grafting ‘dirty’ scion buds collected from the vineyard to the new rootstocks. So maybe not. I’ve heard it asserted that AXR1 ‘masked’ leafroll symptoms, which suddenly emerged magically when the budwood was grafted to rootstocks other than AXR1.

]]> By: Jason http://wineeconomist.com/2012/04/10/the-real-dirt-on-the-parker-theory-and-chateau-al-gore/#comment-3805 Mon, 16 Apr 2012 22:50:00 +0000 http://wineeconomist.com/?p=5331#comment-3805 Very interesting read!

]]> By: Andy Perdue http://wineeconomist.com/2012/04/10/the-real-dirt-on-the-parker-theory-and-chateau-al-gore/#comment-3790 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 16:28:17 +0000 http://wineeconomist.com/?p=5331#comment-3790 Lots of factors to consider, including planting density, irrigation practices, clonal selection, vineyard aspect.

I suppose the Chardonnay-to-Chardonnay comparison would be to measure actual brix on the same vineyard with the same yields over a number of vintages. Of course, that doesn’t take into account vine aging …

Mike, this is a fun subject to think about.

]]> By: Kurt Niznik http://wineeconomist.com/2012/04/10/the-real-dirt-on-the-parker-theory-and-chateau-al-gore/#comment-3789 Wed, 11 Apr 2012 05:43:55 +0000 http://wineeconomist.com/?p=5331#comment-3789 Also left out of the equation is the fact that most of the vineyards back then were riddled with viruses that caused the vines to turn red late in the season and made them unhealthy to the point that they failed to finish ripening the fruit. Replanting with virus free material gave us vines that continued to pump sugars into the berries later into the season. It is still easily observable that virused blocks produce lower brix fruit with coarser tannins that virus-free vineyards.

]]> By: virtuallynothing http://wineeconomist.com/2012/04/10/the-real-dirt-on-the-parker-theory-and-chateau-al-gore/#comment-3786 Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:18:00 +0000 http://wineeconomist.com/?p=5331#comment-3786 Mike, I believe you’ve “done” more than justice to this research. For years, instead of the forest/trees idiom, I have believed we are “missing the vineyard for the clones,” in our never-ending search, or manipulation, of that which does not exist – perfection.

You ask, in my opinion, broad and essential questions. Not unlike asking Adam and Eve, “Did you eat the Apple?” (Or was that Adam and Steve?), or to Pandora, “Did you open the box?” Our natural human curiosity, with a dash of ______ , will always leave us mumbling, “Well, here’s another nice mess you’ve gotten us into!”

]]> By: Keith http://wineeconomist.com/2012/04/10/the-real-dirt-on-the-parker-theory-and-chateau-al-gore/#comment-3785 Tue, 10 Apr 2012 18:06:41 +0000 http://wineeconomist.com/?p=5331#comment-3785 Nothing to do with climate and all to do with stylistic decisions. Many wineries demand extra hang time until the berries start shriveling. Also they are now deathly afraid that some sort of vegetal characteristic may show in a California wine. They call it phenolic ripeness, I call it over ripeness. It is all Robert Parker and his like that have influenced wine style negatively.

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