Wine Faults and Flaws. Keith Grainger
submitted were detected as being faulty. The publications named the wines they found to be faulty, and one can only speculate upon the impact that such naming had upon the producers.
Table 1.1 Percentage (if over 2%) of faulty wines submitted for panel tastings in two leading wine publications.
| Category of wines tasted | Date | No. tasted | No. faulty | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publication: Decanter | ||||
| Affordable Rioja | March 2020 | 183 | 4 | 2.2 |
| Priorat | November 2019 | 82 | 2 | 2.4 |
| Rosso di Montalcino | September 2019 | 93 | 2 | 2.2 |
| Value Douro Reds | July 2019 | 76 | 2 | 2.6 |
| South American Premium Red Blends | June 2019 | 98 | 3 | 3.1 |
| Chilean Sauvignon Blanc | October 2018 | 62 | 2 | 3.2 |
| South American Cabernet Franc | October 2018 | 44 | 1 | 2.3 |
| Gualtallary and Altamira Reds | October 2017 | 99 | 2 | 2.0 |
| New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc | August 2017 | 93 | 4 | 4.3 |
| Southern Rhône Whites | August 2017 | 96 | 2 | 2.1 |
| Piedmont Nebbiolo | July 2017 | 72 | 2 | 2.8 |
| Muscadet with extended lees ageing | June 2017 | 113 | 3 | 2.7 |
| Bordeaux Crus Bourgeois | April 2017 | 203 | 5 | 2.3 |
| Publication: The Word of Fine Wine | ||||
| Historic Non‐Vintage Champagne | Q3 2019 | 44 | 3 | 6.8 |
| Brunello di Montalcino 2012 | Q2 2017 | 34 | 1 | 2.9 |
| White Châteauneuf‐du‐Pape | Q1 2017 | 44 | 1 | 2.3 |
| Champagne 2008 and 2009 | Q4 2016 | 53 | 2 | 3.8 |
| Savennières | Q2 2016 | 27 | 1 | 3.7 |
It should be noted that there were also several wine categories assessed when none, or less than 2%, of the submitted samples were found to be faulty. However, the price points for the wine types detailed are generally relatively high, and if consumers find their purchases to be faulty they might well feel particularly aggrieved when discovering that the product in their glass is not worth anything, let alone the price paid.
1.13 ‘Faulty’ Wines that Exude Excellence
There are many wines, particularly those at so‐called ‘entry level’ that are technically correct, fault and flaw‐free but which are distinctly uninteresting, dull, and by any set of values cannot be regarded as high quality. Such wines usually do not claim to express any regional identity, although they should be largely true to the characteristics of the grape variety or varieties named on the label. But how should we regard wines, often from small, artisan producers that are technically faulty, but which are complex, highly exciting and exude style and class and individuality? Our judgements are usually framework dependent, but excellence in wine, as perhaps in music, art, comedy, or literature can take us outside of our comfort zones where all aspects adhere to the rules. Breaking the ‘you can't do that’ norm may lead us into new territories that prove as exhilarating as they are disturbing. Nicolas Joly is a famous, perhaps even infamous, biodynamic producer in the Anjou district of France's Loire Valley. His family are the sole owners of La Coulée de Serrant, a seven hectare vineyard in the Savennières commune, which has its own Appellation Controlée (Protegée). He produces two other wines: ‘Le Clos de la Bergerie’, appellation Savennières‐Roche aux Moines, and ‘Les Vieux Clos’, appellation Savennières. He is noted for breaking many winemaking rules but produces award‐winning wines that have been described as amongst the world's best dry white wines, and yet which are regarded by some experts as faulty. He is revered by many wine lovers and reviled by many oenologists. Of course he believes great wine is ‘made in the vineyard’, and it is a straightforward task to turn wonderful grapes into wine. ‘What is a winemaker?’, he rhetorically asked me – ‘I don't understand the meaning of the word’ [personal discussion]. When describing a Nicolas Joly wine, the 2005 vintage of Clos de la Bergerie, Savennières‐Roche‐aux‐Moines, Lisa Perrotti‐Brown MW noted (in 2015) ‘ethyl acetate, acetaldehyde and high volatile acidity’ along with ‘beautiful, rich, mature fruit’ – she stated that ‘the wine tasted delicious’ [26].
1.14 Final Reflections
Many wine lovers express unhappiness because, coinciding with the technological and scientific advances of recent years, wines have become more standardised and globalised. Regional characteristics that were once so distinctive have very often become blurred. As Clark Smith states in his book Post Modern Winemaking, ‘replacing empirical systems with theoretical methods devalues hundreds of years of specific knowledge and practice, tending to bring a squeaky‐clean sameness to all wine’ [20]. To many in the industry, quality in wine may be defined as ‘an