New World vs Old World Wines

[jv38]

I would like to know your opinion on this.

I’ve tasted a number of wines from the New World (US, Aust., NZ, South Amer.) and some Old World (Spain, France, Italy) and I noticed, IMHO, that for similar varietals or blends, the test from Old to New is completely different.

It may be my imagination but for example a French Bordeaux or Cote de Rhone have more earth nose and palate than Bordeaux blend or Rhone blend from California or the pacific.

Spanish Riojas and Italian Tuscans have this same earthy quality.

New World reds are more on the fruit side than the Old World counterpart. Maybe the exception is Zinfandel

Not that I don’t like one or the other, just that the difference is so big that makes this wine thing even more interesting.

If is Red Wine I will drink it, no matter were it came from; if is White, then I need to think about it. [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/biggrin.gif[/img]

[Innkeeper]

You broke the code!

[wondersofwine]

Possibly the reason that zinfandel is an exception is partly because some CA zinfandel comes from very old vines. Zinfandel vineyards survived Prohibition better than cabernet sauvignon and other varietals. In countries with a longggg growing tradition such as Spain, Italy and France, the vintners have to replant vineyards eventually but try to keep a mix of older and newer vines. Other contributors are soil composition (great variety within a few acres of Burgundy or German riverbanks, etc.), perhaps clones used (although CA uses European clones too), and wine-making style. Many wine fanciers shrug off California and other New World wines as lacking "terroir"--that sense of the particular patch of earth--but I do think there is something to "Rutherford dust" in certain cabernet sauvignons and an affinity for the pinot noir varietal in an area such as the Santa Lucia Highlands of Monterey County. Some like lots of earth and/or funk in their wines--others don't care for it and want mostly fruit flavors. I fall somewhere in between, wanting obvious fruit but also more complexity from minerals (particularly in white wines), forest floor or mushroom/truffle elements (red Burgundies sometimes), etc. I like both the elegant, velvetiness of a good Volnay, and the more foresty or gamy Nuits St. Georges.

[Thomas]

One major difference might be that many Old World producers let the grapes' natural yeast do the fermentation work, while many New World producers use cultivated yeasts. Type of yeast used makes quite a difference on the results, even among the very same crop of grapes.

WOW, not sure what you mean about zinfandel vineyards surviving Prohibition better; are you referring to zinfandel being the grape of choice for sacremental wine?

[wondersofwine]

Foodie, that may have been a part of it. As I understand it from talking to Cecil DeLoach and seeing different postings on the Internet, many zinfandel vineyards continued to be cultivated throughout Prohibition. DeLoach bought up several older vineyards that were originally owned and managed by Italian-Americans. I'm not sure when cabernet sauvignon was planted in quantity. If the big growth of vineyards came in the 70's, then the vines would be about 30 years old at best while some zinfandel vineyards go back 70, 80 or 100 years. Scherrer is one of those. I did hear about one Cabernet Franc vineyard in the Santa Cruz mountains that goes back to the 20's.