|
|
 |
|
September 19, 2018
Maison Louis Latour’s 2015 Domaine de Valmoissine Pinot Noir
(IGP Var, $14) epitomizes the difficulty of assessing wines by
assigning a number to them. Do you judge them among their peers or on
an absolute scale? And how does value--ratio of enjoyment to
price--figure in the final number?
Maison Louis Latour, unquestionably one of Burgundy’s top producers,
startled the traditionally-focused and conservative Burgundy
establishment by expanding outside of Burgundy while still using a
traditional Burgundy grape, Pinot Noir in this case. In 1989, they
purchased land in the Var  area
of Provence in the south of France, betting that Pinot Noir, a grape
with which they had vast experience and success, would do well there.
They were correct. The 2015 Domaine de Valmoissine, a superb Pinot
Noir, is likely their best ever. It could be a perfect storm of vine
age, 25-plus years of experience with the area, and a near-perfect
growing season that explains the resounding success of this wine. More
fruit-focused than a typical red Burgundy, but without the weight or
sweetness that characterize many California Pinot Noirs, it still
manages to capture the all-to-elusive savory quality often lacking in
Pinot Noir-based wines from outside of Burgundy. Although not a red
Burgundy, despite being made from the grape of that region, it does have
what I consider a hallmark of red Burgundy--flavor without weight. The
tannins are suave, which allows for immediate enjoyment.
So how to score it? On an absolute scale where the fine Chambertins of
the world would score in the high 90s, this one might muster somewhere
in the low to mid-80s. But, I’m not a fan of an absolute scale since I
don’t think it’s fair to compare, for example, wines from Beaujolais
with wines from Burgundy, or wines from Muscadet, which can be
delightful, with Corton-Charlemagne. I am an advocate for judging among
peers, which of course requires the reader to have an idea of the
composition of the group. So, using the group of all non-Burgundy Pinot
Noir, Louis Latour’s 2015 Domaine de Valmoissine would score in the
high 80s or low 90s.
Now, once we consider price (and who among us does not?), we have an
entirely different story. Pinot Noir with real character less than $15 a
bottle is rare. At this price, this wine is a steal--the kind you buy
by the case and drink slightly chilled in the summer with burgers or
with grilled salmon, or in the winter, with roast chicken and
mushrooms. In the end, I think Robert Whitley, my colleague here at
WRO, defines the numerical rating extremely succinctly and
accurately--it’s an “applause meter.” It’s how much I like the wine,
everything, including price, considered. Using that scale, Louis
Latour’s 2015 Domaine de Valmoissine gets 95 Points (I can see my editor cringing, already).
Posted by Michael Apstein at 10:18 AM
|
|
 |
|
