Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts

I couldn’t seem to get an answer in Noah’s Gruaud Larose thread.
I always thought 1970s/80s Gruaud Larose horse shit was something that we strived for, something that we have lost in the past 30 years, to our regret…
Is Gruaud “horse shit,” “funk,” “brett” considered a detriment or an asset?
For me, that’s one of the reasons why I love 70/80s Gruaud.

I have a decent tolerance for low-to-med level Brett and VA. I love Musar and a lot of funky, Natty wines. But if all I’m smelling is poop, band-aid, clove or horse sweat, I’m totally turned off.

If it’s complicating and subtle, I’m all about it.

These GL were clean. And so were last two bottles of 86 I had (first one was at a BWE lunch a few years back, where I think it was WOTL, and I don’t remember that one being overly bretty - to be honest though, I hardly remember what I did six hours ago, let alone 4 years ago…)

If it is at a level that I can detect, it generally is too much for me. The GL's that I've most enjoyed were ones where I got none of the "Cordier funk."

A plus for me when in moderation.

Two factors account for the diversity of opinions:
1. Variability in palate preferences and
2. Ability of Brett to grow under warmer storage conditions, increasing the effect.

Agree with DavidG, in moderation is key and adds to the perceived complexity. And if too much then it’s decidedly flawed in my eyes.

I wondered in Noah's thread given his comment about lack of brett, does this mean it will eventually vanish given time? I think a novice drinker might confuse a wine with brett as corked.

The '86 G-Ls I've had in the past couple years had more sous bois than barnyard.

DavidG wrote: ↑Wed May 18, 2022 12:16 pm A plus for me when in moderation.

Two factors account for the diversity of opinions:
1. Variability in palate preferences and
2. Ability of Brett to grow under warmer storage conditions, increasing the effect.

+1

I think the latter is a bigger deal on these older bottles.

One producer that also has a reputation for funk is CNDP house Pegau, and I've noticed quite the divergence in how much bottles show after years. Some bottles can be almost overpowering, others have just the lightest hint. And all would have been treated the same (storage/temp wise) during my ownership.

I'm fairly tolerant of this attribute, but it can be a bit too much in some examples.

This somewhat explains and answers the question proposed. Good review https://www.winemag.com/2020/07/14/the- ... s-in-wine/

jckba wrote: ↑Wed May 18, 2022 2:01 pm Agree with DavidG, in moderation is key and adds to the perceived complexity. And if too much then it’s decidedly flawed in my eyes.

Yes and once any level of Brett is evident it can soon become a dominant character - it isn’t predictable, and you may also get a lot of variation within a batch. So I’d say it is best avoided and in the case of GL the Brett free wines still develop complexity and interest with age. Yes I don’t mind a touch of it BUT if the first bottle from a case shows it, I’m rather worried how the rest of the case will develop.

AKR wrote: ↑Wed May 18, 2022 3:41 pm

DavidG wrote: ↑Wed May 18, 2022 12:16 pm A plus for me when in moderation.

Two factors account for the diversity of opinions:
1. Variability in palate preferences and
2. Ability of Brett to grow under warmer storage conditions, increasing the effect.

+1

I think the latter is a bigger deal on these older bottles.

One producer that also has a reputation for funk is CNDP house Pegau, and I've noticed quite the divergence in how much bottles show after years. Some bottles can be almost overpowering, others have just the lightest hint. And all would have been treated the same (storage/temp wise) during my ownership.

I'm fairly tolerant of this attribute, but it can be a bit too much in some examples.

The 2006 Pegau I opened recently exhibited quite a bit of brett upon opening but then morphed into a lovely wine. Still youthful.

Hell no, it's not a bad thing! Some folks have a low tolerance for brett, but I'm not one of those. I always found it to be an interesting element to be enjoyed.

Bring on the funk!

ericp wrote: ↑Fri May 20, 2022 3:24 pm Hell no, it's not a bad thing! Some folks have a low tolerance for brett, but I'm not one of those. I always found it to be an interesting element to be enjoyed.

Bring on the funk!

LOL, +1!

Every time I have a funky Talbot or Gruaud, this plays in my head:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yILr8KdTPsU&t=0m51s

Cordier funk is my huckleberry