‘What is Quality?’

by Richard Bampfield MW - 19 September 2007

Think about it. What is quality? How subjective is it? Is it related to intrinsic factors in the wine itself, or extrinsic factors such as where and with whom we are drinking? Is there a cultural difference in the perception of quality between the Old and the New Worlds?

For his second visit of 2007, Richard Bampfield MW took us on a journey of discovery, debunking en route many of the expectations and prejudices associated with the world of wine. The message at the end of the evening? Relax, enjoy, don’t be ruled by the label or the price and don’t confuse ‘quality’ with personal preference. The surprise revelation of the evening? How delicious an English Bacchus wine can be. Yes, really.

Richard steered us through 4 blind or semi-blind tasings. Each flight consisted of 2 wines only and in every case the wines were from the same area, grape variety and, with one exception, vintage.

Flight One compared a Bourgogne Chardonnay and a Meursault from 2005, from Domaine du Pavillon, Albert Bichot. The Bourgogne showed a more mineral, oak nose; the Meursault was more floral and reserved, indicating that the Bourgogne was more mature. On the palate, the Bourgogne was crisp, with a fatness in the middle and with lingering acidity, while the Meursault showed more purity, some tropical fruits and lingering flavours without the middle fatness. The conclusion? Whereas the Bourgogne is drinking well now, the Meursault needs a further 2 to 5 years to come to its peak. The dilemma? Are you willing to pay £20 a bottle for the Meursault and store it, knowing it may or may not achieve its potential, or would you rather spend £9 on a highly enjoyable and virtually identical (except of course in the special circumstances of the tasting room) wine to drink now?

Flight Two was tasted totally blind, with both wines showing a virtually identical appearance and a nose which initially led some to think they might be Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc. In fact, both were English Bacchus wines from the same producer, Chapel Down, 2005. Wine 3 was their Special Reserve at £12, wine 4 their standard Bacchus at £8. On the nose the Special Reserve showed as highly scented, aromatic with a brightness of character and was floral and fresh; the standard Bacchus more characteristic of green apples and elderflower. On the palate the Special Reserve was bone dry with a fresh fruity aftertaste; the standard was richer and fruitier with a sweeter middle palate but with an acidity which dried out the fruit on the aftertaste. Both wines benefited from being served chilled.

Flight Three compared two Rioja Reservas from the well-regarded 2001 vintage, one from a widely available traditional producer, Marques de la Concordia, retailing at around £5.99 on offer, the other from a more modern producer, Marques de Vargas which retails for around £15.99. Of the two, the Concordia was by far the more approachable, a textbook Rioja with Christmas cake spice aromas, and plenty of fruit and sweet oak on the palate. The Vargas on the nose had more game and leather while on the palate the oak was less intrusive and the fruit more pronounced. Worth the extra £10 a bottle? With more than half of club members present voting the Concordia their favourite, perhaps strictly defined ‘quality’ is not what we enjoy most!

Flight Four took us to the New World and a debate about the values attached to the various elements of quality; the Old World emphasising length of flavour, a slow build on the palate and relatively indifferent to colour, while the New World favours depth of colour, bold aromas and more impact on the front palate. Both wines were from Penfolds, and both were a shiraz/cabernet sauvignon blend. After an evening of the restrained European style of wine, the Australian contenders assaulted the palate with the richness of their fully ripe grapes, their higher alcohol content and their lower acidity. Our ‘quality’ contender was Bin 389 from the 2003 vintage, otherwise known as ‘Baby Grange’. Our challenger was the 2005 from Koonunga Hill. On the nose, the 389 had more herbs and mint while the youth of the Koonunga revealed black fruity aromas. On the palate the 389 had more tannin structure and seemed more ‘brooding’ with the promise of more aromas and flavours yet to emerge; the Koonunga had a sweetness and fruity freshness, but with a good natural balance and finishing dry. With the 389 retailing for around £19 and the Koonunga at around £8.99, again one was left once more with the £10 question – a good party wine with plenty of enjoyment for now or a promise for the future at a higher price? Answer this one for yourselves.

Quality is indeed subjective, situational and cultural. Quod est demonstratum by Richard’s thought-provoking tasting!

A review by Hilary Reid-Evans