TN: Studs or Duds tasting

Interesting notes on the 2002 Ridge Lytton Springs. My parents, to celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary, went on vacation to France. During their trip, they were to dine with some old family friends in Rueil-Malmaison, en banlieu de Paris, and they asked me suggestions of a $30-$40 bottle of wine to bring as a gift.

I was tempted to send them off with a big California Cab, or perhaps some Dom. Druhin Pinot Noir, but decided against something that they would inevitably compare to their Old World versions. So, I sent them off with a bottle of 2002 Lytton Springs. I've had the 2001 and loved it, and I actually did have the 2002 once, but very late in a no-spit tasting event, after my palatte was completely shot. But I figured it would be a good example of a well made, very New World wine that has no real equivalents in France.

I think your description of it sounds good. Ripe, weighty, not over the top. I hope that they enjoy it, though I'll never find out for sure of course, as they are very gracious people.

- Chris

Chris, I'd say " well made, very New World wine that has no real equivalents in France." sums it up. It's a good choice!

dale

I think that he did, Dick. Laube's ratings of '01 CalCabs were rather infamous: he found pervasive cork taint in wines like Montelena (which others didn't) and dissed them mercilessly as a result. Most people I've spoken with about this seem to feel that Laube either: 1) Began imagining TCA contamination in otherwise fine wines or 2) had some bizarre bone to pick with selected wineries and took it out on them in this way.

Mark Lipton

Thanks. I stopped reading Wine Spectator long ago and did not realize that.

Montelena in my opinion is THE abosolute best Cab in Napa.

"Most people I've spoken with about this seem to feel that Laube either: 1) Began imagining TCA contamination in otherwise fine wines or 2) had some bizarre bone to pick with selected wineries and took it out on them in this way. "

Well, there's a 3rd (and most likely imho) possibility. That Laube has developed a hyper-sensitivity to TCA. Bo has admitted there was a low level contamination in the winery, and spent big bucks to reduce. Now, it was under normal human detection levels, but it was there. One can raise question re muted fruit, etc. But the main question is why should a reviewer with an abnormal sensitivity be dissing wines that would be fine for 99% of the audience? Less extreme but similar are issues re Pierre Rovani and sulphur.

Truly, your "3rd" possibility is for all intents the same as my #1, just far more charitably put (small wonder, given your employer ;-)): Laube has stated that he's trained himself to be hypersensitive and, in that link I provided, he reports lab results that found 1-1.5 ppt levels of TCA (where nominal human detection limit is 4-5 ppt) in the wines in question. This begs the question, though, of whether Montelena is so unique in having TCA levels in that range. Some of my more cynical acquaintaces feel that he was making an example of Montelena and Gallo of Sonoma. Speaking as a TCA-(hyper)sensitive myself, I find Laube's description of a "chalky" character totally unlike any TCA taint that I've detected.

Mark Lipton