How are barrel tastings done Sender: Ian

Salut-Hi Leo Bueno,

le-on Sat, 25 Mar 2006 21:45:17 GMT, tu disais-you said:-

I am not a reviewer for any major publication (or minor one for that matter), so can't say how that happens. However I've very often tasted barrels samples on my visits to wineries. One of the most interesting was in Oregon, where we were lucky enough to be received by Jack Rovic of Panther Creek winery, and were shown the influences of different Pinot Noir clones and different oaks on their wines. I suppose we must have tasted something like twenty different barrel samples.

I remember a similarly educational tasting in Ch. Tour des Gendres in Bergerac, where Luc de Conti was discussing - with barrel tastings - the difference that different kinds of limestone sub soil gave to the wines made from the Sauvignon Blanc grape.

In both these cases, as in all others I've attended, the barrel was opened, a sample taken with a wine thief, and poured into our glbuttes (as well as the owner's) for us to taste. We then carried out our tasting, obviously spitting the wines.

However, as I understand it, when, say, the "Revue des Vins de France" wants to taste the current range of sweet wines from the South West, they contact the owners asking them to send tasting samples and so those that wish to take part will take samples and put them into a 1-2 bottle, cork it and send it. The most scrupulous will take care that they take a representative selection of several barrels so that what will be tasted with bear some relationship to what will be bottled eventually. Others will no doubt take the gamble of selecting a good barrel from which to pull samples. while they may get good reviews in the short term, in the long term that kind of sharp practice gets them a filthy reputation.

I have no idea of how the tasting itself takes place. Presumably that will depend upon each organisation and how many are participating.