In this case, perhaps people are interested in purchasing this philosophy of wine as art, and, as a result, one experiences the wine not out of expectations, but exploration of one’s own subjectivity.

I know I may look for the Brasilian woman on the beach, and though I may not find her (as everyone perceives art in their own way), it won’t be for any lack of trying or regret as I ultimately find my own reaction to the wine.

Let’s face it nothing has much depth to it anymore in our fast paced world. Sound bites of the day and 5 liners are all we can absorb. Scores are just easier to digest. When teachers make tests the questions that are the easiest to construct involve numbers. There is probably an equation for everything in the universe but my mind keeps drifting back to Buzios beach and instead of the monk it is me asking “coli sensa Senora!” Wine and love have a long history after all.

2. The brazilian on the beach was better, more original

3. Numbers. I sometimes find it hard to quantify wine, particularly when I am comparing wines at different price and quality stratum, but at the same time I see the value, not as an exact representation, but as an attempt to point out a spot on an enjoyment continuum and say “Here, this is here”. It isn’t perfect, but it speaks a language all can understand, and I think that too many critics need to stop harping on the scores, obviously most wine drinkers, serious or casual, like the idea of numerical score or it would not succeed as it does. And I don’t just mean in magazines, but also on Cellartracker and other oenophile websites as well.
In reality, humans use numbers in all types of settings to attempt to express the value or importance or worth of what is essentially an esoteric experience. Even art, such as film and music, is “rated”, in words and in scores. I think it is human to want to do so.
As a last note, if someone asks me how a wine is, and I say “it tastes like beef blood”, they may get that, or they may not. If I say, “I give it a 94″, then they will probably have a better idea of what I think of the overall experience.

It may be possible that these notes would possibly make sense if I had tasted the wines (which would require me to *buy* them) I cannot say that I would have the same association on drinking the wines. These associations (’pure monk’, ’spirits mixed with light’) are so personal and subjective that I would not rely in them to spend serious money.

If I am looking for information about these wines to substantiate laying the serous cash asked per bottle, I want something concrete and not something that sounds like a commercial.

They are entertaining notes, no doubt, but they are absolutely useless to a consumer who wants to know if the wine will give them the experience *they* seek in in wine.

Winewench – yes many years left in front of the 89. But the 88–decades!!

I mean, really,: “A monk who has led a pure life and suddenly the fruit comes alive and he is running on a beach in Brazil” – is a bit of an absurd visual that does nothing for me. It lacks concretes. Or: “spirits mixed with light” – is this a Biodynamic wine?…

There are certain wines (typically young reds which have some detectable RS and have been made with heavy-handed uses of oxidative methods) that make me think of a deep smoky amethyst. This has nothing to do with color, the aromas and flavors do this for me – and probably only for me. So I will not use this kind of metaphor in describing wines.

Concrete terms are more universal and meaningful. They transcend personal preference, the times and culture. Just because someone cannot articulate something in concrete terms, does not mean that it can’t be articulated. Music is a language of its own as much as smell and flavor are. To verbalize those things, takes some work and development of vocabulary and a parlance.

Individuals understand many things averbally but this does not mean that a verbal understanding of those things cannot be attained.

Bringing Sexy Back to Wine for sure!

Richard Shaffer