We hear a lot about terroir these days. In my humble view, the vineyard site produces terroir, which is the unique quality of that specific place. Terroir shows itself in wine, certainly in Pinot Noir, but you can over-ride it.

You can create wines from one place that seem like they are from any place.
Usually in warm vintages, very ripe grapes are the biggest culprit. For example, the 2003 Burgundies all taste very much the same.

To capture terroir, that has to be your goal. Often, at 26 degrees Brix and above, you will lose it. By cranking up the sugars and ripeness, you can negate the effects both of vintage and terroir.

Yes, I think soil is the major contributor to terroir (although terrain and climate play large roles as well), but … More…