Daniele Cernilli picks up on an editorial from ten years ago that deals with a topic that is still on the agenda among experts, critics and even winemakers.
I confess that that article of mine seems less old than I remember, and that is why I am reposting it to you.
The acidic drift
Elegance or thinness? A reflection on drinkability, balance and acidic drifts
“It doesn’t bother me much that my 2012 whites are thin and citrine, and moreover produced in very small quantities, given the vintage. Some Italians who will appreciate them will surely be there. There are people there who mistake thin wines for elegant wines…. “.
A comment that causes discussion
I do not want to tell you who uttered these words-which, moreover, were reported to me and I did not hear with my own ears. But the person who picked them up was in Burgundy, in Meursault, and the producer in question makes wines right in that area.
After all, it is not so important who said such a sentence: what matters is the sense of the speech and the not-so-subtle accusation of naiveté aimed at some Italian enthusiasts and small importers by a vigneron bourguignon.
Is he right? Maybe he is, in my opinion, at least partially
In recent years, a concept of “drinkability” somewhat exaggerated is causing some oenophiles to lose sight of the far more important one of balance.
The result?
- Wines considered minor by producers, awarded instead of the top of the line.
- Wines of small vintages preferred to those of more important vintages.
- Citrine and slender whites elevated to extraordinary examples of elegance and – precisely – “drinkability.”
Tannins vs acidity: they are not the same thing
It is worth remembering a few essential points when approaching wine in a nontrivial way:
- while the tannins polymerize and soften with time (provided they are mature),
- l’acidity is fixed and remains more or less what it is.
Translated: an excess of tannin in youth can be a venial sin, while a wine that is too sour will remain as such, without evolving significantly.
By the way, the piece that Vinogodi dedicated to “lame whites” is enlightening (the article-which featured a challenge between Trebbiano and Aligoté-came out in 2013 and is no longer online; we’ll see if we can resubmit an update, ed.). Only very great performers succeed, at least in part, in ennobling small grape varieties, and in any case a suitable vintage is needed, capable of giving wines balanced.
An appeal to enthusiasts
I understand the enthusiasm and good intentions of many enthusiasts and budding critics. However, please:
sour wines and acidic drifts let us treat them for what they are: limitations, if not outright flaws.
Certainly not examples of extreme quality to be flaunted in the name of a misplaced ideal of drinkability which, in these cases, is not really understood.
