How many bottles of a given producer does it take to get a good idea of their quality? I have tried several bottles of Vietti wines (Piedmont, Italy), and, despite the high ratings often given to them, I have not found them all that exciting for their types (Dolcetto, Barolo, Barbera, etc.). Several bottles were in fact poor. Could this be a shipping/storage problem?
As I say, they keep getting good reviews, but I keep getting so-so bottles.
Certainly could be. Next time this happens, you might seek out a second opinion on the wine. It might be that you simply prefer these wines made in a different style than that which garners high ratings. If this happens consistently over several vintages and you're certain that the wine is handled by more than importer, then that pretty much rules out shipping/storage damage.
It might also be that you're not letting these wines breathe a bit before passing judgement ;-)
Dana
I agree with Dana. It could be the style doesn't appeal or it could be that bottles currently available in merchants are still quite young to show--especially the Barolo.
I've also found, over the years, that Italian wines (and Spanish as well) don't seem to travel very well to the heartland shops. If your supplier doesn't sell a lot of them, there's a high probability that the wines aren't being handled very well during their extended tenure on the shelves.
My current personal policy on Italians is that I do my "shopping" at restaurants with a good wine list--they've done the pre-tasting and sorting to refine the list for quality and price. Then I find the wine online from one of the major houses like Zachy's or Sam's and order from them. My satisfaction with the wine has gone up immensely.
Ed Rasimus Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret) "When Thunder Rolled" "Phantom Flights, Bangkok Nights" Both from Smithsonian Books
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I drank an 89 (WS) pointer '89 B di M from Banfi with a friend and we both thought it tasted like a £5 bottle from Waitrose (our local supermarket). We are both seasoned, oenological veterans with fairly sphisticated palates. The wine market is driven by the reviews of a select few people, but by its very nature the appreciation of wine is a personal experience. Just because a critic says something does not make it true. Neither is his/her opinion more valid than yours. The fact that Bordeaux wine prices are determined by the views of 1 American perfectly illustrates how little faith we have in our own judgement, and how little producers have in their ability to create quality wine. I would say, your taste buds are fine. Try something else!
Regards
Snoop
You mean all in one sitting?
But other Piedmont wines I buy from the same dealers are just fine. Vietti alone have been far below their reputation. I have never been satisfied with a bottle of Vietti wines. After the 4th bad bottle, I stopped buying them.
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