Clos du Val Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 and listening to yourself.

A few months ago I was given a bottle of the Clos du Val Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 by a guest to a wine party I threw. Now, I generally love wine as a gift -- but, I looked up a generally influential tasting note about the wine, and it described the wine as dusty and dank. Not a stellar endorsement. Needless to say, I was very reluctant to open the bottle based on that review (and even tempted to re-gift it, I am ashamed to say, if the opportunity presented itself).

But then my opinion started to change. First, as I developed a better grasp of the California wine scene, I realized that I had a very European palate. Probably a result of having been introduced to wine on the east coast, where French and Old World styles dominate (or, at the least, are as prevalent as California wines). Second, I saw reviews of this wine from Decanter -- a British wine publication that gave the Clos du Val a much better review (I tried to find the issue of the magazine for the exact review, but I think my copy went the way of the Dodo). Then, I saw a comment online in response to the earlier critic, asking a pointed question or two about the rating. Finally, after trying some wines that were highly rated by this same critic and discovering they did not suit my palate, I decided that I would give the Clos du Val a chance.

I could not be happier.

Dark berries, cedar and spiced olives on the nose, with decent tannins and acidity on the palate that suggest some life in the bottle. I do not think the wine needs to open up, but I could see it developing the secondary characteristics of leather and tobacco. Very un-California-like, in a good way. At about $30 a bottle, this makes for a great value. Three and a half out of five stars, especially for the price.

Two questions (and answers) as a result:

First, why the possible disparity of my tasting notes from those of the original critic? I can come up with three reasons. The first is that often multiple wines are rated at once, and those wines are compared within region. This wine could easily be lost in comparison to super-ripe and super-extracted Napa Valley cabs. By comparison, it would appear weak and its positive characteristics would be lost. A second possibility is that the critic had a "bad day" and could not enjoy all of the aspects of the wine (think about what a head cold might do to your sense of smell). Finally, even more so than in music or movies, a critic's personal tastes can have a profound impact on how they perceive and enjoy wine. Frankly, of these options, I suspect the first and third played a part -- after all, I enjoy a different style of wine, and I enjoyed this wine on its own.

Second, what does this mean? As a result of those diverging tastes, I was willing to ignore a very good wine because it did not obtain a positive review. This really is a cautionary tale -- one should not let the views of others unduly influence what one enjoys or could enjoy. Instead, find those whose tastes are similar to yours, and look to them for recommendations. But in the end, always look to yourself for what you could enjoy.