NYT: Village Burgundy

Funny, that's how I feel about Asimov ;-)

Interesting observation. I don't know how pricing works in Seattle, but for me most low-level Burgundies are cheaper wines than Pinots from CA and Oregon. Have you ever dealt with Garagiste?

They're a mailing-only wine retailer in Seattle that often have interesting wines for good price. In fact, you can now visit them in person at 707 S. Lander St.

Asimov's columns are very geared to NYC consumers: many of the wines he reviews aren't sold much outside of NYC. OTOH, he *does* write for a paper based in NYC, so perhaps that's intentional. You're quite likely about your palate being differently attuned: it took me 15 years of wine drinking to be able to appreciate Burgundy, and one of the biggest problems for Pinot-lovers is that much of the Burgundy that hits these shores is pretty dismal stuff. I'm *very* selective about which producers' wines I'll buy, and this article gives a short list of them. OTOH, be glad if you don't find Burgundy appealing: it's like heroin addiction, except costlier (a lifetime of misery for the occasional fleeting transport to ecstasy).

Mark Lipton

The bigger red Burgundies can require extensive time in the cellar to become enjoyable. You might try some 1ers from the Cote de Beaune in good-but-not-awesome years like '01. They should be more approachable than their bigger brethren.

That's interesting advice. I found the few '03s that I've tried to be rather atypical, tasting roasted and overextracted. But, they may be easier for a lover of bigger CA Pinots to appreciate.

Mark Lipton

I was not aware of them. I guess they keep a pretty low profile. I note that they are open by appointment only. They are not located in the classiest part of town, either. But thanks for the tip.

I'm sure you're right on all counts. One of my favorite writers for the NYT is R.W. (Johnny) Apple, Jr. He writes about a lot of things and he has one of the best prose styles I have ever encountered.

Vino