This is a true story from a small producer who wishes to remain anomous for obvious reasons.

 

He writes......

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. 

 

There is a bottle shop in xxx where they absolutely love my wine, it is their 'discovery' and they attempt to hand sell it to all their good customers.  That is great! As I have a few cases of the previous vintage put away I thought that I would 'reward' and encourage them by offering them a few cases of the previous vintage for their good customers. In my view, it should prove to be an excellent cellaring proposition.  I dropped a sample bottle into them a week ago and called them this morning. 

 

The conversation went like this: "Hi Mr Sales Guy, have you tried the older vintage yet"? 

 

"Yes".  

 

"What do you think of it"? 

 

"Well Mr Producer, I am not very technical but my boss says it has a fault associated with the Stelvin closure". 

 

I pause and then say" Do you think that it is reductive"? 

 

"No", says Mr Sales Guy, "it begins with a 'B'". 

 

"You don't mean Brett"? 

 

"Yes that's it".

 

I start to say, "What the.........".  But I just finish the conversation politely and thank Mr Sales Guy for trying the wine.

 

So there you are, Stelvin induced brettanomyces in a squeaky clean wine. That must be the black capsules.  Maybe capsicum or VA from the green capsules?  Prunes and alcohol heat from the burgundy capsules?  The list is endless.

 

You gotta laugh; or is that cry?