by Patrick Ogle
Minimus Omero Vineyard Willamette Valley Trousseau Noir 2016 is light in color and a little on the cloudy side. I thought there was some unusual earthiness on the nose. I cannot exactly define it. It wasn't all the usual things people say "forest floor", or "barnyard" or any of that. It was something different. It might be something more akin to
wildflower than dirt.
"Something different," of course defines what Minimus do with wine. When you taste this one there is cherry with pomegranate and nice tannins from mid palate to finish. I am not just reaching for an obscure fruit when I say pomegranate either. I really did get that, or it was the closest analog.
This trousseau isn't some bizarre wine that only natural wine freaks will love (and I use the term freak here with great affection). This is a natural, low intervention wine that the average wine drinker can get behind and love even. It is light and tart and has a nice acidity that I kept thinking of the things Id want to eat with it. Oddly I thought a nice salad with a vinaigrette dressing. But this also could be a fantastic wine for Thanksgiving fare. It has the acidity and is light enough to go with Turkey and ham at the same time. I don't eat meat so I cannot endorse you eating critters but I also don't tell people what to eat.
The wine is fresh, crisp and bright and aromatic. The floral taste here is subtle and you need to reach for it while tasting. I tried this with a tiny bit of a chill after I drank it. I'm not sure I would recommend this because the cold sort of blunts the complexity? We could serve reds at a slightly lower temperature than we sometimes do.
I was told to try this over a day or two. Fat fuckin chance. I drank it all on one night. BUT I can say that it did open and change even in the few hours I had it around.
This wine reminds me of why wine tastings kind of suck. Sure, you get to taste a lot of wine but the joy of a wine like this is having several glasses, some with and some without food. And also getting a feel for how it develops. Then there
is this,after I stopped thinking and got to drinking? This wine was even better.
Trousseau grape most associated with the Jura region in France. The grape is also found in Spain and Portugal. In the latter country it goes by the far more colorful name, bastardo. On the mainland and the Portuguese islands like Madeira has been used in fortified wines but these days this use isn’t extensive. You will see the grape called “rare” but that is a matter of perspective. It isn’t in danger of vanishing from the earth like some other grapes.
A friend suggested that if wine is an art then Minimus are Picasso. I might say they are Dali but that is just a matter of taste. They are masters of creating compelling wines. Fans of natural wines already know Minimus and fans of all wine should know them too. You may want to be a little careful with some Minimus wines as they do experiment. Not every wine will be suited to every taste but ASK before you buy.
Minimus Omero Vineyard Willamette Valley Trousseau Noir 2016 is light in color and a little on the cloudy side. I thought there was some unusual earthiness on the nose. I cannot exactly define it. It wasn't all the usual things people say "forest floor", or "barnyard" or any of that. It was something different. It might be something more akin to
wildflower than dirt.
"Something different," of course defines what Minimus do with wine. When you taste this one there is cherry with pomegranate and nice tannins from mid palate to finish. I am not just reaching for an obscure fruit when I say pomegranate either. I really did get that, or it was the closest analog.
This trousseau isn't some bizarre wine that only natural wine freaks will love (and I use the term freak here with great affection). This is a natural, low intervention wine that the average wine drinker can get behind and love even. It is light and tart and has a nice acidity that I kept thinking of the things Id want to eat with it. Oddly I thought a nice salad with a vinaigrette dressing. But this also could be a fantastic wine for Thanksgiving fare. It has the acidity and is light enough to go with Turkey and ham at the same time. I don't eat meat so I cannot endorse you eating critters but I also don't tell people what to eat.
The wine is fresh, crisp and bright and aromatic. The floral taste here is subtle and you need to reach for it while tasting. I tried this with a tiny bit of a chill after I drank it. I'm not sure I would recommend this because the cold sort of blunts the complexity? We could serve reds at a slightly lower temperature than we sometimes do.
I was told to try this over a day or two. Fat fuckin chance. I drank it all on one night. BUT I can say that it did open and change even in the few hours I had it around.
This wine reminds me of why wine tastings kind of suck. Sure, you get to taste a lot of wine but the joy of a wine like this is having several glasses, some with and some without food. And also getting a feel for how it develops. Then there
is this,after I stopped thinking and got to drinking? This wine was even better.
Trousseau grape most associated with the Jura region in France. The grape is also found in Spain and Portugal. In the latter country it goes by the far more colorful name, bastardo. On the mainland and the Portuguese islands like Madeira has been used in fortified wines but these days this use isn’t extensive. You will see the grape called “rare” but that is a matter of perspective. It isn’t in danger of vanishing from the earth like some other grapes.
A friend suggested that if wine is an art then Minimus are Picasso. I might say they are Dali but that is just a matter of taste. They are masters of creating compelling wines. Fans of natural wines already know Minimus and fans of all wine should know them too. You may want to be a little careful with some Minimus wines as they do experiment. Not every wine will be suited to every taste but ASK before you buy.
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