The American vs. the European Palate
The first and best example of this issue descends from the unbelievable Chateau Gruaud-Larose tasting and feasting held in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1990. A number of American and European wine professionals attended. Of the 1975 vintage, several Europeans, including David Peppercorn, M.W., really liked the 1975 Gruaud-Larose because it was closed-up, austere and tannic.
Several Americans, including myself, disliked the 1975 because it was still closed-up, austere and tannic!
From my wine-loving beginnings, I have followed the British press, especially Michael Broadbent, now chairman emeritus of the wine department for Christie’s in London. I have always found most of these writers to be less impressed with a young red that has huge, bold, awesome, over-the-top blockbuster fruit and more impressed with a young red that is complex, well-structured, moderately (or even substantially) tannic and rich with a harmonious fruit/acid balance.
Now here’s the confusing part. Primarily because of the weather, north coast California wines have more fruit–sometimes gobs more. This is because of extremely ripe grapes. However, all the sunshine results in less natural acidity and usually, because of vinification methods, among other things, less tannin. So one would expect that the European palate would not go gaga over our wines.
As a matter of fact, I can tell you that on numerous occasions, starting with the fabulous Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon 1974– which I shared in the early ‘80s with European friends who knew the wine was from America—the reception was less than enthusiastic.
On the other hand, there was the famous Paris tasting in 1976 in which all French experts chose Chateau Montelena Napa Chardonnay 1973 and Stag’s Leap Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 1973 over other fabled French wines. Of course, this was a blind tasting. I’m certain the results would have been vastly different had they known what they were tasting.
Some of the French judges were furious. At least one claimed that the tasting had been rigged by the host, Steven Spurrier—ironically a Londoner. But Steven has stated to me personally and in an article he wrote for me in the ‘80s that he did nothing of the sort. If there is a European Palate, it is strange that nine French experts picked a ripe-fruit $10 California Cabernet Sauvignon over fabled Chateau Mouton-Rothschild and Chateau Haut Brion from excellent vintages, and a ripe-fruit $10 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay over some fabled white Burgundies.
It has been proven on many occasions that California wines with all that ripe fruit and lower natural acidity, win blind tastings. However, many European wines, with less fruit, more acidity and more complexity, are a better complement to many foods. The moral of such stories is that American palate or European palate, quality usually comes through, especially in blind tastings!
