Incredibly Over-Rated Wines Part III

Merchant's Corner

Discover masterpieces of the vintner's art, the unsung wonders and the overrated duds in this blog from the wine buyers at Zachys. These folks have tasted it all.

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Posted 01/31/2008 at 11:02 PM by Andrew

The "super-extracted" Australian wines ... and by that I mean wines that are so rich and ripe and loaded with new oak that they become almost unrecognizable as wine, are way over-rated to me. I want wine to be part of the Food & Wine experience. A great glass of wine should compliment your meal and not overpower it.

What we see today is winemakers attempting to load their wines up with lots of everything. These wines quite often get very favorable reviews from the world's leading wine critics but I have a very hard time drinking more than 1 glass...strike that ... usually I have a hard time drinking a whole glass!

Balance and refinement is what I seek. A glass of wine that after you sip it leads you to ponder and enjoy the finish of the wine as much as the start. A wine that after you take your first sip intrigues you to stick your nose back in the glass to see what it is yielding and what is to come. What's wrong with a little mystery? I guess that is the crux of my argument ... these wines lack mystery and finesse and I have a very hard time understanding all the hype.

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About the Authors

Andrew McMurray

Andrew McMurray is Zachys' expert on Italian and Spanish wines, as well as Champagne and Sparkling wines from around the world. For over ten years he has been sampling, buying and discovering wine gems.

Rachel Imbrogno

Rachel Imbrogno grew up in an Italian-American household where Italian red wine was part of every dinner. Working at Zachys has broadened her horizons and deepened her respect for wines produced in other countries such as Argentina, Spain and Australia.

Jeremy Noye

From farm boy to culinary student to sommelier, wine has led Jeremy Noye down some interesting paths. His specialty at Zachys is Bordeaux and the wines of Spain, but his interests include Burgundy, Rhone, Loire and Italy, to name a few.