i love winespeak... wine "experts" seem to be a bottom-less well of expressions that make wine lovers absolutely enthralled with wine... a ladybird vintage is just one of those.....

just how cute is that little bug? how many of us, as kids, spent hours and hours hunting for them so that we could admire their beautiful color?? so cute... some wineries, boasting for their sustainable vineyard practices even post beautiful photos of this bug on their websites and brochures..

it turns out that it might actually be a winemakers worst nightmare...

because the little bugger is also a source of taint. you can read more about it in a very interesting article on wine-searcher. the bottom line, is that it takes as little as one of them to spoil a small cask. it releases mehthoxy-pyrazines, which is the chemical that gives the wine an herbaceous character (think sauvignon blanc aromas). in red wine, it is most often associated with under-ripening.

while it might be good in some wines, it is certainly not a description one look for in red burgundies.

apparently, the 2011 harvest in burgundy saw quite a bit and it is possible that those winemakers who did not sort their grapes carefully enough will see their wines with the taint.

don't blame it on under-ripening though because 2011 was pretty good all over in burgundy...