Flaws in wine are nothing new, however, the discussion around them has certainly changed.
Although formerly recognized as faults, these "flaws" (excess volatile acidity, brett, reduction, and even mousiness) are now frequently deemed acceptable – even enjoyable, in many cases – by consumers and professionals alike. This question of pleasure, like most other facets of tasting, partially moves the conversation from scientific to philosophical – what exactly makes a wine flawed?
I spoke with numerous wine professionals across the country to find out which flaws (and in what specific quantities) are deemed acceptable and/or enjoyable. The discussion spiraled all over the spectrum. Side note: as Brooklyn-based wine importer Zev Rovine notes, the discussion naturally – no pun intended – came back to the natural wine world, as (in the words of Rovine) "most conventional wines don't exhibit 'flaws', as they normally undergo various vinification techniques to 'fix' them – sterile filtration, controlled fermentations, etc".
What makes a flaw?
As Dr. Jamie Goode puts it, the most common flaws in wine are "above-threshold levels" of volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs), brettanomyces metabolites (4 ethylphenol and 4 ethylguaiacol), detectable volatile acidity, and beyond. (I also brought the subjects of oxidation and mousiness to the professionals interviewed.) Though looking beyond science, Goode challenges the notion of "faulty" wine.
"What it all boils down to is aesthetics – how do we decide what a good wine is, and what a bad wine is?" he ponders. What he calls the "community of judgement" will shortly reveal itself – though perhaps in many more layers and textures than you'd think.
Lauren McPhate, director of sales at Tribeca Wine Merchants, believes that flaws – like anything in life – are great in moderation. "I personally love a little brett in my Bordeaux, or some VA in Brunello or Rhône, but do know there are people and places that are especially sensitive or dismissive of flaws," she says, citing the example that "most Australians hate brett in any capacity". McPhate finds that VA, brett, and oxidation can add depth to certain wines, so long as they don't take away from the juice's true character.
VA, reduction, brett (oh my!)
Most professionals across the board found certain amounts of volatile acidity, reduction, and brett to be relatively accepted. "I am not opposed to small amounts of VA, reduction or brett, so long as the wine is well-integrated overall," says Amy Atwood, founder of Amy Atwood Selections. "If those are not the only dominant characteristics, they can all add some personality to a wine – but I still want some fruit, acid and structure."
For James Jelks, winemaker at Florez Wines, the threshold for "faults" is reached when their presence obstructs his ability to identify terroir. "There are some very famous domaines characterized in part due to a flaw – is anyone whinging about reduction in white Burgundy or a bit of brett or VA in Barolo?" he asks. Jelks affirms his reverence for the classic and well-crafted, though solidifies that a bit of VA, reduction, or brett never hurt anybody.
"I look for wines that are alive, which in itself, means that they're imperfect," says Jenny Lefcourt. For her, excess VA can render a wine intolerable, though small amounts of it in big, fruit-driven wines can actually add a perceptive level of freshness.
Rovine agrees. "VA is present in every wine – it's an essential part of its structure, and in some cases, higher levels can be beneficial, particularly in red wines from warmer regions," he explains. Rovine does state, however, that when a wine becomes vinegar, one must just call it what it is – though it isn't always that easy, as there's no set guideline or numerical standards to abide by. "Sometimes VA is noticeable at 0.7; other times, I don't notice it at 1.1 because it's so integrated and makes sense with the wine," he says.
Mouse in the house
No topic causes such debate as that of mouse – and in some cases, even singular homes are divided. Such is the case chez Adam and Kate Vourvoulis, owners of Pasadena-based Good Luck Wine Shop and founders of Vin de California. "I think of mouse as a serious flaw, but Adam doesn't," reveals Kate. She recalls the exact moment last year when the couple realized that their skin-contact Pinot Gris was so laden with mouse, that they knew it would never bounce back. The solution? Simply acknowledging that some people enjoy mousy wines.
"We fully leaned into it and marketed it as such," she says, never once pretending to make the wine something it was not. She recalls pouring said wine at a pre-COVID trade tasting and being surprised by the compelling conversations it sparked – and the fact that many people actually enjoyed the juice. "Some people are going to taste it strong, some won't tase it at all – we're not here to judge that," she says.
Others are semi-tolerant of mouse, to an extent. "Personally, I don't like mouse, though I can handle it in small amounts and find beauty in a wine that has it," says Rovine. [For reference, Rovine describes mouse as a peanuty taste that occurs after you drink a wine and exhale. "You feel this very nutty thing in your nasal cavity. You can't smell mouse, you taste it," he says.]
And for some, mouse is simply unacceptable. "Mousiness should never happen to any wine anywhere," says McPhate, calling it unpleasant and totally avoidable. “Mouse – fuck that!” exclaims Michael Sager, director of London-based wine bars Sager + Wild.
Flaw vs. "flaw"
For Adam Vourvoulis, one of the only real black-and-white flaws in wine is cork taint, noting that "flaws" such as volatile acidity, mouse, and residual sugar are byproducts of vinification processes, and that cork taint comes from an external issue. "The presence of these 'flaws' – volatile acidity, mouse, etc. – were all decisions that were made (or not made) at some point by somebody, so I don't hold them in the same sort of realm as I would cork taint," he explains.
Others are less forgiving. "Flaw in wine is a true vernacular that is cemented in the culture," says Rovine. "You can't deny what it is – a wine is either flawed and you don't mind it that much, or it's flawed and you do." Rovine explains that the concept of wine flaws comes from thousands of years of collective knowledge gained from people making it, and to not honor the term would be disrespectful. "The term flaw doesn't come from sommeliers, it comes from winemaking and from studying the complexities of fermentation and yeasts and bacteria," he says.
Vourvoulis feels differently, stating that the notion of flaws comes from overarching sommelier boards and tasting grids, which in his opinion, are less relevant than ever nowadays. "What DOES it mean for a wine to be good, for somebody to enjoy it?" he ponders. "Is there really a box that we need to put it in? Does that whole concept even need to exist? I just don't know how necessary that is."
Rovine states that many flaws/"flaws" can also come from bad stewardship of fermentations. "Flaws commonly come from unclean environments, bacterial infections, and not monitoring fermentations properly," he says. Yet again, this can often come down to a matter of subjective choice(s) – this time, from the winemaker's perspective.
Subjective notion of "flaws"
Most professionals interviewed agreed that the notion of most "flaws" is pretty subjective – however, Adam Vourvoulis pushes the philosophy even deeper. "If you like mousy wine great, and if you want a big VA bomb, that's great too – and if you really dig a big, buttery Chardonnay, do that! But who's to say that an excessively oaky and buttery Chardonnay is not flawed?" he asks, pondering the frequent additives used in traditional winemaking. "How is making conventional wine that follows a recipe not considered a flaw?"
In a similar vein, McPhate feels that certain "technically driven" wines, specifically those produced in large quantities, should not exhibit any flaws. "These bottles are made to be a consistent product, and VA or brett wouldn't suit the style," she says.
Dr Goode notes that with certain flaws, specifically that of cork taint, its presence at any level is unacceptable – though others are simply a matter of taste. "What about the cineole that comes from eucalyptus and is regularly above threshold in Australian reds?" he ponders. "Some people like a touch of mintiness in their wines." Flawed or terroir-reflective? The answer comes down to subjectivity.
Goode feels that in some contexts, a bit of a "fault" compound can be a good thing. "Unfortunately, people who have been trained to spot faults at an early level call 'fault' all too easily and end up rejecting wines that are actually really interesting," he says, affirming his stance that this notion should change. Sager feels likewise. "Aromatic complexity, especially on the lower to mid-level price points, is rarely achieved by pitch-perfect winemaking, as the fruit can only give so much flavor," he says, stating that the rest has to come from fermentation. "The balancing act here is to ensure the wines are stable yet interesting," he says. Sager personally feels that small amounts of brett and VA (in Italian wine, specifically) are the most welcome.
Working through (and selling) "flaws"
As with many things, patience is a virtue – and frequently, time heals all. "When I'd notice a wine going in a direction that I didn't like, my initial reaction would be to absolutely freak out and think about it nonstop," explains Adam Vourvoulis, revealing that a bit of restraint can actually cure all. Now when this happens, he acknowledges the direction that the wine's going in, realizes that it probably won't last forever, and if it does continue going down a path he doesn't like, he simply finds a solution in racking, lightly sulfuring, or topping off. If the wine has "figured itself out", he tends to not mess with it and just let it be.
"Truth be told, I don't even think about flaws anymore. I don’t care," says Megan Bell, owner and winemaker at Margin Wine. Bell affirms that consumers of her wines don't care about the presence of potential flaws in them, either. She states that, although some of her juice usually ends up having some brett, she doesn't actually test for it – and above all, doesn't do much to prevent it from happening. Bell believes that brett, specifically in one of her cuvées, comes from its vineyard site – which therefore, is simply a reflection of its unique terroir.
Bell also reveals that a wine from this past vintage is "the closest thing [she's] ever made to vinegar," and she's not worried one bit. "I'm not even remotely concerned about it because I know that people will still like it," she says. "Sure, some of these faults are science-based chemical flaws, but we don't have to perceive them that way while drinking them."
Accepting "flaws" out of loyalty
For many, accepting flaws on a short-term level is essential in building a solid buyer-to-buyer relationship. "It's important to realize that there's actually a human behind the bottles who loves what they do," says Kate Vourvoulis, citing her support for the individuals behind the bottles as to what keeps her coming back for more, even after a "faulty" year for one of her producers.
Rovine attributes this concept of loyalty to "buying the winemaker".
"When I say I buy the winemaker, I tend to buy based on a whole set of principles," he explains; that encompasses farming techniques, vinification practices, and overall philosophy. In addition to supporting a uniquely faulty year or cuvée, Rovine also feels that this means buying a winemaker's entire range of wines, despite only potentially liking a few or noticing flaws in some. "If you just go to buy their cheapest or easiest to sell thing, you're not being a good import partner for the winery," he says, explaining that this also leaves him beholden to purchasing wines even during "faulty" vintages. In not doing so, this could ultimately be the demise of a producer's business.
"As I become more of a winemaker, I have become so much more accepting of flaws," says Adam Vourvoulis. "If all of a sudden someone has a vintage where their wines are mousy and nobody buys them, they might lose their livelihood," he states, agreeing with Rovine that conscious consumers and wine buyers shouldn't just pick and choose.
A matter of taste
The moral of the story? It's all subjective. Sort of. "[Tasting]is all in the eye of the beholder," says Jelks. "One person's pivotal 'aha' wine, may be totally unacceptable for someone else, and vice versa." Jelks admits that flaws can be detrimental to wine, although, based on the taster's tolerance, "flaws" may often be perceived as beauty marks.
Terry Thiese, award-winning writer, portfolio manager, and expert on German and Austrian wines, concurs, finding that minor flaws in wine are generally acceptable, so long as they don't take away from it. "One person's 'minor' is another person's 'intolerable'," he explains, reiterating the notion of personal threshold. Thiese also explains that obsession with pristine cleanliness can frequently lead to denuded and antiseptic wines. "The secret seems to be to have wines that are technically competent, yet also full of charm and life-force and character," he says. To him, this takes a certain level of understanding from both the vintner's and drinker's parts.
Rovine sums it up best: "I think it's hard to just ignore that a flaw is a flaw, and I think it's wrong to do so, too," he says. "However, the threshold is very subjective. It's okay for something to be flawed and still like it."
November 28, 2020 at 04:05AM
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