Out, damned taint! Out, I say!
There’s no denying one of Pinot’s hallmarks — and the reason many of us love it so — is its discernible funk on the nose. Barnyard stank, dung, smokey bacon, etc., charm us by wrapping with rose petals and fresh ripe cherries to create a delicate and earthy headiness only the best pinots can acheive. But what about a sniff of wet ashtray, or even worse, smoke taint? As reported in the Wall Street Journal, California winemakers from the Anderson Valley are battling to remove the odor in their 2008 vintages, caused as a result of severe forest fires during the growing season. Some have spent the last year adding milk byproducts, fish bladder powder, and egg whites, along with other fining tricks, to eliminate the smokiness. Is the adulteration justified? Our own Keith Wallace wrote about the manipulation of wine using these very methods for the Daily Beast in a piece that appeared last year, to the shock of many wine consumers (and the ire of some important players in the wine industry). As this article points out, some people do not find the aroma offensive, while others liken it to a corked bottle. My suggestion: read both pieces if you haven’t already, and weigh in with your comments.
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