Comments on: Wine for Christmas: Two vintages of Faustino I Gran Reserva

By: Martin Moran MW

Martin Moran MW — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 09:13:47 +0000

europhile – oaky is normal in Gran Reserva Rioja as they are in oak for 3 years before bottling, but sherry like aroma could be oxidation, as in the cork has not kept air out properly. ‘Random oxidation’ is nearly as much an issue as corked or TCA, which is why so many have changed to screwcap. Either way it does not sould like Brett. But, as Lar said, you could try and take it back and swap for something else.

By: Lar

Lar — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 23:48:38 +0000

Pronounced bret-o-my-sees. Just call it “Brett” and they’ll be doubly impressed. Whatever it was, ask your friend where they got it and bring it back. It’s available in Dunnes and Tesco so they should take it back without quibble

By: europhile

europhile — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 23:37:58 +0000

I opened a bottle of 1996 Gran Reserva a couple of hours ago and just had the first glass.

I’m no expert but it is so oaky it almost tastes as if it is corked. Like cheap sherry. Extremely unpleasant. Going down the sink. It would be going back to the shop but it was a present.

Could this be brettanomyces?

P.S. How do you pronounce this? I want to be able to bore the arse off/impress my friends.

By: Lar

Lar — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 12:31:31 +0000

I saw the 98 on shelves but decided to steer clear. The 2001 seemd okay. Maybe as part of the 75th celebrations they burnt the place down and started again!

By: Martin Moran MW

Martin Moran MW — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 11:47:54 +0000

BTW, for my money Faustino does seem to have an issue here, if you think Brett is an issue, as for my money the 1998 Faustino I is bretty too.

By: Martin Moran MW

Martin Moran MW — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 10:51:27 +0000

A bit of both. Often a lot of a winery’s wines will show it as it’s there and in the air and will attack anything it gets a chance to. But individual batches can have properties, eg high enough SO2 levels, that block it. I’ve heard more than one winemaker say that the answer is to burn the place down and start again!

By: Lar

Lar — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 20:56:33 +0000

Hi Martin,

in your experience, is Brett a winery problem (i.e. affecting a vintage or batch, just one barrell, for example) or a per bottle problem (like a corked wine).

Lar

By: Martin Moran MW

Martin Moran MW — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 13:42:45 +0000

Gilbeys sent me a bottle of the 2001 too and it was the clearest case of brettanomcyces I’ve seen in ages – real ‘waiter there’s a horse in my wine’ stuff. Absolutely undrinkable. All of which proves, I guess, that one man’s meat is another’s poison.