Incredibly Over-Rated Wines Part II

Posted 01/26/2008 at 10:59 PM by Andrew

I'm sorry to have to say this. I love many wines that fall in this category, I have many friends that produce or import said wines … but for me the Super Tuscans are the most overrated category there is right now.
 
Yes, there are some great wines produced like the 1985 Sassicaia, 1997 Alceo from Rampolla, and 1990 Solaia from Antinori. However, even these three great wines may just prove my point for me: They don't age! I know that the category is relatively young, but for the past five years I have been in the position to taste and watch the progression of this category and the wines. And let me tell you, they don't age well and the inconsistency from vintage to vintage can be dramatic.
 
Since the beginning of 2007 I have tasted the above three wines each at least twice. The 1985 Sassicaia has been rough and tannic, showing an almost hollow edge to it with more stewed fruit notes. The 1997 Alceo has been soft, a touch thin and resonated. The Solaia has been the wine that has developed the best in my opinion thus far. Soft round tannins, with good black cherry fruit and a nice balance of secondary aromas, great acidity and very long finish that still has substantial structure. Granted these are my general notes on the wines so far in 2007, but I am talking not just about one bottle but rather about my combined impressions based on several tastings.
 
Consistency is a real issue with the Super Tuscans too. I feel that the region in general produces such a wide gamut of wine that does not follow the governments DOC or IGT regulations; and as a result producers and importers are in attempts to sell their wines toss it into the Super-Tuscan category, thus diluting the category and making it more confusing for the consumer to know what is going on. Is it Cab, Sangiovese, Syrah, Merlot or a blend? What is the blend? Is the blend the same every year? What does Super-Tuscan stand for?
 
And the real crux of the issue is that the wines are not consistent from year to year. Granted every region will have a bad vintage, 2002 for most of Italy was a bad vintage. But take 1995 to 2000, a stretch of time that is considered to have good and great vintages in it. In my opinion very few producers over these six vintages have produced a consistent product of quality and style: Sassicaia, Solaia, l"Apparita, Masseto, and Sammarco have. But Tiganello, Alceo, Redigaffi, Galatrona, Fontalloro, Ornellaia, Grattamarco, Cameratina, and Il Boro (just to name a few) have not. (Sorry guys, please don't get mad at me!)

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