Grand Vin Chateau de la Grave - Cotês de Bourg

Expetacular
Nota 9,0

Unbleached coffee filter instead of decanting to filter out the sediment

Copiada da WS online

Dear Dr. Vinny,

I have heard that you can use an unbleached coffee filter instead of

decanting to filter out the sediment. Any thoughts? Obviously you would only

do this at home without guests.

-Mark G., Midland Park, N.J.

Dear Mark,

I open plenty of bottles of wine, and a good share of them are older wines

with sediment. I never worry about the sediment-a steady hand and a clean

decanter are all I need to separate the wine I'm serving from the gunk at

the bottom. If possible, I set my bottles upright for a day or so before

serving to make sure that most of the sediment settles to the bottom, but

even in a pinch, I just don't sweat the sediment, and at most, maybe 2 or 3

ounces of sediment-heavy wine are left over in the bottom of the bottle.

Some of my friends, especially those who collect Port, are much more worried

about sediment. Let's be clear-the stuff that makes up sediment (dead yeast

cells, bits of grapes, phenolic molecules) is harmless and not contaminants.

But some folks just don't like the way sediment can muddy a wine with an

unpleasant grittiness. I get that.

My friends who go to more extremes to remove sediment will employ, yes,

unbleached coffee filters, or several layers of cheesecloth. Some of the

sediment may still pass through this extra filtering, but my friends feel

that they're saving another ounce or two of drinkable wine.

-Dr. Vinny

What is the difference between a Nebbiolo and a Barolo and Barbaresco?

Copiada da WS online
Dear Dr. Vinny,

What is the difference between a Nebbiolo and a Barolo and Barbaresco? I
know the two "B's" are made from the Nebbiolo grape, but what characterizes
a Nebbiolo wine?

-Kathryn, Los Angeles

Dear Kathryn,

You're correct that Nebbiolo is both the name of a grape and of a wine made
from that grape. Though small amounts of Nebbiolo are grown all over the
world, it's mostly found in northern Italy, in the Piedmont region. Within
Piedmont are two wine-producing zones called Barolo and Barbaresco, whose
namesake wines are both made from the Nebbiolo grape. A wine may be labeled
as a Nebbiolo if it's made in a region outside Barolo and Barbaresco that
permits varietal labeling.

What characterizes Nebbiolo and the wines of Barolo and Barbaresco? I find
the wines very distinctive, with aromatic tar, rose, licorice and truffle
notes. The wines can be a highly tannic and have a reputation for aging
well. In general terms, Barolo is the more massive, tannic and rich of the
two, while Barbaresco is considered more elegant and approachable.

-Dr. Vinny