WTN: 1998 Oliver Conti Emporda – Costa Brava

[geo t.]

1998 Oliver Conti Emporda – Costa Brava, $19.99, 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 13.5% alc.: A bit of the barnyard mostly blows off the nose of this deep, dark garnet, leaving a soft leather, black olive and cocoa powder bouquet. The flavors pick the ball and run with it big time, with the leather, olive and cocoa accents setting the tone for the expressive black currant, cassis and blackberry character of this dry, appealing Spanish claret. Moderate tannins turn somewhat drying on the finish, but as this opens in the glass, it becomes increasingly rich and appealing. This is a deliciously interesting and enjoyable wine that can pair with a fairly wide range of food, and it should continue to improve over at least the next few years. Tasted six times in the last three months with consistent results; too bad we drank all ours up.

Imported by Veritas Distributors, Inc., Detroit, MI

Reporting from Day-twah,

geo t.

[ctgm]

I have a friend who is the importer into the UK and I had the 1999 a while back. It sounded pretty similar to the 1998 although the barnyard smells on the nose weren't present.

When you get these dirty smells on the nose, do you ever blow into the glass and then smell? It is amazing what a difference there can be.

[jayt90]

1998 Oliver Conti b] A bit of the barnyard mostly blows off the nose of this deep, dark garnet, leaving a soft leather, black olive and cocoa powder bouquet.

Isn't the barnyard smell one of the delights of burgundy, as opposed to other pinot noir? I think it's a complexity not lightly blown off, and replaced by something more gentile.

[LindaJ]

Specifically, what is "barnyard" as a tasting point? Are we talking chicken poop here?

I understand "cat pee" in tasting Sav Blanc - that's pretty specific. Can someone be, ummm, more descriptive?

[jayt90]

Specifically, what is "barnyard" as a tasting point?  Are we talking chicken poop here?

  Can someone be, ummm, more descriptive?

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Some burgundy's have it, most don't. I haven't encountered it in new world pinot noir, but they may certainly attain that level. Reminds me of well aged, fermented cow manure at a dairy farm. The scent is intriguing, and interesting enough to encourage further investigation...

[geo t.]

Re: Barnyard; one person's delight is another's disgust. What is often described as barnyard is usually something that smells like, well, a barnyard, with the pungent aromas that come from the animals that live there, especially cows and horses. It can be a poopy smell, or it can be a horsey saddle odor, and in small to medium amounts, can be an attractive part of the wine's package, at least for some people. It appears not only in red Burgundies, but also to some degree in Bordeaux and especially in red Rhones, which is where I've encountered them the most. The aroma is usually the result of a spoilage yeast known as brettanomyces, or brett, for short. As I said, when it's not too strong, it can be a possitive attribute; however, it can take over in a wine and become too much, and that's not a pretty thing to behold. In the case of the Oliver Conti, there was just a hint of this characteristic, and it did indeed pretty much blow off.

[Rebel Rose]

Yes, I think we have to remember that not everyone has encountered a barnyard frequently enough to have fond memories of one. . .

A clean, well run barn-yard has mingled smells of wood, clean sawdust, rich earth, animal hide, fresh hay and the warm, fermented grass of healthy dung. Let's not go into the smells of an unhealthy barn environment except to say that it is not what we are fondly looking for in Burgundy.

Another related 'aroma' found in Burgundies and pinots in general would be 'compost,' which is a warm, fermenting vegetal-earth combination, or 'mushroom,' which might include the damp-earth-and-fungi smells of a healthy mushroom spawn garden.

As geo t pointed out, an intriguing whiff of these aromas lends complexity and interest to a wine.