You could insert dozens of wines in the space of Loire Cab Franc. Outside of the pearl-clutchers' preferred flavor profile and hangovers of over-oaked, over-extracted, possibly sugar-laced wines of the late 20th century, the 100-point rating system does us all a disservice in its inability to transmit the value of lighter-bodied wines. I had a buyer say to me not long ago "If you have any Barolo rated 95 or higher I'll take a look". I responded "well, it's a shame that 95% of Baroli do not satisfy the criteria for those rating, but if you want some balanced Nebbiolo with pure fruit and no oak, look me up." The bottom-line is that the rating system of the 20th century cannot adequately respond to the tastes of the 21st. I'd rather drink 88-point Barbera (or Dolcetto, or Sangiovese, or Grenache, or...) over 99-point Napa Cab eryday.
The (relatively few) wine critics i read do sometimes talk about value but often it seems to be in the context of “it’s only 100-200 now but once you’ve aged it...”--that kind of value. 🧐 Not that there’s anything wrong with that, as they say.
I’m looking forward to trying some Cab Franc now. Prior to reading this, I found it mentally intimidating. And, even better, it’s available!
These Wines are the Platonic Ideal of Everyday Drinking
You could insert dozens of wines in the space of Loire Cab Franc. Outside of the pearl-clutchers' preferred flavor profile and hangovers of over-oaked, over-extracted, possibly sugar-laced wines of the late 20th century, the 100-point rating system does us all a disservice in its inability to transmit the value of lighter-bodied wines. I had a buyer say to me not long ago "If you have any Barolo rated 95 or higher I'll take a look". I responded "well, it's a shame that 95% of Baroli do not satisfy the criteria for those rating, but if you want some balanced Nebbiolo with pure fruit and no oak, look me up." The bottom-line is that the rating system of the 20th century cannot adequately respond to the tastes of the 21st. I'd rather drink 88-point Barbera (or Dolcetto, or Sangiovese, or Grenache, or...) over 99-point Napa Cab eryday.
The (relatively few) wine critics i read do sometimes talk about value but often it seems to be in the context of “it’s only 100-200 now but once you’ve aged it...”--that kind of value. 🧐 Not that there’s anything wrong with that, as they say.
I’m looking forward to trying some Cab Franc now. Prior to reading this, I found it mentally intimidating. And, even better, it’s available!