Hi Agnese. I bought a bottle of Comtes de Champagne 2005 a few weeks ago and experienced something strange. Upon opening it had a very small amount of expression (lemon, slight walnut) but it was as if I’d lost my sense of smell from Covid, and it was very dull. I left it opened and in a glass for up to 1.5/2 hours hoping it would blow off or open up. and it started smelling slightly unpleasant and of mould, but not cork taint. I returned it to the reputable wine merchant and they were happy to give me credit to buy something else (or a replacement) but that they found it to be “as it should be” upon tasting it, and even commented they were surprised that it wasn’t bad after a week of being open…. As a working sommelier myself, I immediately went into self doubt mode and felt very under confident and confused, even though I’ve discarded many faulty bottles of wine (and drank plenty of champagne, young and old) so I’m very curious to know if you had any thoughts on what the fault could have been here? Sorry for long comment!!
Thank you so much for the informative video Agnesi! I have been opening bottles of wines where I realised there was a somewhat white-ish film of oiliness/layer (especially red wines). Would you have any idea what that might be? I have encountered that many times in red wines! But all I can find from the internet is spoilage yeast/mycoderma... would appreciate any knowledge about that! Cheer :)
It is so FRUSTRATING because I always double/triple-check that it is NOT the oil/grease from my mouth or food. This has been observed in maybe 12 bottles of red wines I bought over the past 2 years. They are all different varietals, from different producers/countries and from different wine stores :/ I'm really perplexed. There are no specific odours except that sometimes the fruit aromas seem dampened.
Another great video. To me, cork taint is the most heinous, because an aged wine with developed taint ruins my palate for a day. I once heard that 1/12 bottles is tainted this way, but it’s much closer to 1/100 for me.
For my late night glass of red I choose *Malbec from Catena or Salentein* : bold, some friendy tannins , good mothfeel, but little acidity and wood. I understand how acidity pairs well with food, like steak but also tomato saus. But I often drink wine late at night, with maybe some nuts, chocolate or liquorce. Then I dont like acidity. I also dont like wood taste. What would be a suitable Spanish wine for me?
That would be a dream of a masterclass where various wine flaws were illustrated with samples. Understanding the scarcity and the unpredictable nature of such specimens, is something like that even possible?
The truth is that in such masterclasses not a real wines with identified faults are presented. Usually it is a wine with added fault/taint to it. As was this case. ☺️
Great channel congratulations. One question on TCA. If one of the bottles in your wine fridge has TCA, is it possible it can spread to the other bottles?
Good question, I would say no, but I am not completely sure. Everything I have read about this fault usually was linked with wine being in direct contact with contaminated object. 🧐🧐🧐
Since TCA has been shown to transfer from items like shipping pallets and rubber gaskets, I’d say there could be a remote possibility. But one thing that did happen to me was I did have a significantly TCA tainted bottle I had in a wine fridge and it seemed to me that the smell did show up in the fridge but didn’t seem to affect other wines I had. And when I removed that bottle after some searching, and cleaned out the fridge with non chlorine detergent, the smell did go away. None of the other wines seemed affected, and I am very sensitive to TCA.
Great video. I’m very sensitive to TCA and Brett. IMHO TCA ruins wine but Brett while still being a fault, like you I find it a complexity when it’s low but NEVER in whites. I did have an Ausie rose (Sangiovese) under screw cap once that was corked, brought it back to the shop and the owner had all his team try it to show it was a real thing. A little VA in my Tuscan reds is ok too. My tasting group replicated the light strike experiment Konstatin Baum did this summer and it was extremely apparent how just a little exposure to light, man made or natural can quickly turn a wine faulty. For me, the oddest fault so far was the peanut butter notes I had in a NY Cab Franc that had ladybug taint. It was just weird!
For years, I wondered whether, when confronted with a corked bottle in a restaurant, I would be sure enough it was faulty to have the nerve to return it. Then it happened: I was at a restaurant and got served a corked bottle. There was simply no question that it was a faulty bottle. The restaurant immediately apologized and brought another bottle. Turned out the entire case was faulty. After three or bottles proved off, we switched to another wine, which the restaurant graciously comped, along with dessert (even though it all really wasn't their fault).
That is great experience, even though it might not felt that way right away. I hope You will feel confident the next time as well. I also want to praise the staff of that restaurant, very professional. 🍷 Cheers and may we have less spoiled wines in our glasses!
Worst thing that ever happened to me in my career was at a 2 Michelin star restaurant. A regular customer ordered a 1986 Chateau Margaux because he had something to celebrate. I can't remember the exact price, but it was before prices went crazy on the 1re Grand Cru's...still it was a very expensive bottle. He said the wine was corked and I wasn't convinced and thought he was confused because of the age of the wine. I was very tired and was a little bit sick. But after very reluctantly opening another bottle I noticed the difference by just smelling the opened wine from a distance. So, even a trained professional might get it wrong sometimes and you should never ever feel ashamed to complain or mention faults about wine if you taste or smell something that doesn't feel right! There is no such thing as real experts in the wine world. Some of us are trained more and have more knowledge but even an amateur can sometimes notice something others don't.
Wine faults are tricky for pro's and even more tricky for us mere mortals. How are we supposed to know what mouse droppings taste like? 😄 I have a mystery for you. A few years ago I opened a Ch. de Fleys Chablis. I tasted nothing like Chablis at all, except maybe for a hint of minerality. The wine was completely stripped of all acidity and all taste except alcohol. Since it was quite oily in texture, it actually reminded me of Vodka more than wine. It was horrible. HORRIBLE! 🤢 I've never heard of a fault like that, and I might suspect Covid, but the problem is that I drank other whites in that same period that were fine. I also drank more of the same label another time, and that too was fine. It still haunts me to this day.
Hello, What do you mean by " a hint of minerality" ? More and more people are using this term but minerals have no smell or taste. The only minerals a grapevine extracts from its soil are the same minerals found in any fruit or vegetable and are purely nutritional. But more and more I see and hear people talk about minerality. Also professionals. I don't get it. I studied oenology in Geisenheim and one of the first things we learned is to smell (and taste) everything and I really mean everything. And none of the minerals that vines can actually extract have any taste or odor. So what is it that the new generation of wine-lovers is talking about?
I will have to think about this chablis for a while now, I am truly not sure what it could have been. I suspect You have tasted other wines of the same producer and they were all fine?
That is true, however, I do think that term “minerality” is used less than it was before. And the truth is that for each of us minerality means different things - one MW did a Research Paper on this topic, and usually it was linked with high acid crisp white wines. I was shocked when friend of mine said that he associate minerality with red, full bodied wines. 😅
@@williamsaintclair4997 IDK, I'm familiar with the "minerality" debate. You can call it "saltiness" if that helps. I don't think there's anything wrong with mineral associations. It's obviously not the rock itself and the amounts of things like magnesium, phosphates, boron and so on in the wines, are too small to actually taste. So we're talking about scent here and associations that are linked to rock and earth that are tied to organic material on and among these compounds. It's not that strange and not to be taken literally. The term mineral water for example is old and I wouldn't hesitate calling the taste mineral like, even though I know I can't taste rock for example.
@@NoSediment Yes I've had one bottle from the same vineyard and vintage that was fine, and a premier cru from the same producer that was also fine, so it's probably not me. I think there was something very seriously wrong with that one bottle, but damned if I understand what it could be.
This was fantastic. I watch you both, your Wine channels and have often thought to myself, these two should collaborate. I enjoyed listening to Konstantin’s wine journey. Wine is magical, yes. I feel it’s also a romantic product capable of generating some very warm and thoughtful emotions, which leave us with great memories. Thank-you again for this interview.
Agnese, i love this interview. Kudos for getting Konstantin in an interview. I feel it's worth noting that while you mention how negative comments affect you, you are what most people look forward to watching and relaxing to
Yes, Rating is really for poor wine! Great wine starts at 100 points? There is no rating good enough? Wine teaches the brains how to use the senses. Great wine is a great mystery! Thanks for sharing your knowledge and for the honest discussions!🙏
It's cool to see that Wine RU-vidrs starting to do collabs; looking forwards to more of that. I like this podcast format to go with your usual ~10min vids.
There should be a balance between the traditional 'poetic and abstract' approach and the current systematic/pragmatic, score-based method for describing or evaluating the quality of wines. The traditional abstract language used to describe wine flavors has contributed to the public's perception of snobbery and pretentiousness.
Love your thoughts. Wine is meant to be enjoyed by the drinker with no judgement on what others drink. For me, this season is for northern Rhône whites like Guigal Condrieu, Coursodon Saint Joseph Blanc and rose from Tavel, Spanish reds like Flor de Pingus, and good Lambrusco with pizza. Dessert is a great VDN or Tokaji. Cheers!
A video getting 7.5k views in 2 days is such a change of pace. I remember the "good days of yore" where I could count the vids by the number of people I'd sent the link to and now... uau... just uau. Congrats.
Hi Agnes, that was a great interview! I follow Konstantin for quite a while. His knowledge, his tasting skills and his cool climate humor are a joy to witness and to learn from. He is also a humble man that sips himself through dozens of (cheaper than cheap) discounter wines. I really appreciate this because it might draw more winedrinkers with a small budget to his channel . Not everybody can afford Pétrus. I started with a simple Buzet and learned over decades there is a world to discover.
Thank you for the video. I always enjoy the indepth conversations. One suggestion I have for all of you that teach us about wine: when you are visiting an area, open up to hosting a meetup with people in that area.
Nice video, thank you! I personally love Super Tuscans as they give me the impression of being slightly less acidic than Bordeaux blends and two of them have stolen my heart: Tricorno (Castello di Poppiano) and Tribun. The second wine is simply amazing and I cannot find it anywhere on the internet!!!
I love the part he said about the “hate” comments. Social media has given us the platform that we never imagined would come along and we have the room to express ourselves immensely, but it also gives space to people speak their mind and unfortunately sometimes offend. As in life (outside of the internet) you can’t let this stuff get to you. The most important thing is to create and build a community of people that progress thanks to your work.
Have had several different types of Chianti. Some were not Chianti Classico. Most of them were very good. A few weren't so good. Sangiovese grapes turn into really good wines.
I was hoping we would get to see you both in a video together. Both of you are probably some of my favorite content creators when it comes to wine and spirits. Having this long conversation with you both is just fantastic. Great job as always
Why, why, why, the tattoo? I know it shouldn't make any difference, but the reality is that it does! It makes no sense whatsoever and to me, it SCREAMS, look at me, look at me, I'm ??????? (pick your own (perjorative) word) I had so much respect, now . . . . ?
I really don't want to argue with you,@@NoSediment , but the reality is, that's what people do. My message is not so much for you, but for other seemingly intelligent young people who are contemplating doing such crazily stupid things. You're gorgeous and you're smart, then you go and do this . . .
I love the really aromatic Nebbiolos, especially the floral smelling ones. For awhile, I wasn’t sure I liked Sangiovese, but the more I try the more I realize there are expressions I enjoy. I just tried the Vino Nobile from Salcheto you had on an earlier video and really enjoyed it! Also, I watch the videos from the guys from Wine for the People regularly as well, and it made me so happy to see this colab with a Unico Zelo wine getting a feature! How lovely you could meet and shout each other out!
Yes, indeed, it is not always that we have possibility to meet each other, but it is always nice to say hi! After all, wine world is so small, and we all are passionate about one thing.. 🥂🥂🥂
First ever comment on a RU-vid video : I watch both your channels and have been for quite a while. I found this interaction particularly agreeable. What is important to me is the integrity of it all. The wine business is not known for its great integrity and this contributes to the weaknesses it has. So similarly, I hope that you both will pay a lot of attention to that. It is OK to have a channel on social media with interesting content ( which you both have). It is not OK too try to fool the viewers into buying certain wines. But then again it is OK to use your content and name to attract more buyers for yourselves. No issue with that.
Thank You for Your support and Your comment! 🙏🏻 I guess I don’t see anything bad to invite viewers or people at the shop to buy a certain wine - this is what sommelier or a professional at a wine shop does. We listen to our friend suggestions, why we shouldn’t listen to professional suggestions? 🧐
Nice video, Agnese, two of my favorite wine podcasters. I’ve subscribed to Konstantin’s channel from the beginning, and yours more recently. But I love them both. The common elements of both of you are passion and integrity. Cheers 🌺🙏🍷🌺
Great video, Agnese. I just tried my very first Brunello di Montalcino this week, and my notes were similar to some of the nebbiolos I’ve tried in the past. So I had exactly this thought in my mind! Perfect. Cheers 🌺🙏🍷🌺
Aha, wow, yes, they can seem very different on the paper, but when You taste them - there are similarities, that sometimes can lead to misjudging the origin or grape in the blind tasting. They both deliver highest quality though! 🍷🍷
Awesome interview. Two of my favorite wine RU-vidrs together. I would like to know what wines you guys tasted after the interview. Konstantin, as far as the education and entertainment thing is concerned, a good teacher is entertaining as well. As a teacher, you have to hold a classes attention. No one will sit through a presenter if he is "dry" and boring. As an average dude who enjoys tasting and reviewing wine, I will tell you that you intermix both very nicely. Your humor presents you as a cool guy to probably hang out with and learn from as well. Remembr that wine is fun and shouldn't be stuffy. In the end, I appreciate you keeping it real. Agnese, thank you for doing this interview, I really enjoyed it.
