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| Noble Rot: A Bordeaux Wine Revolution | 
 enlarge | Author: William Echikson
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
Buy New: $9.49
You Save: $5.46 (37%)
New (18) Used (11) from $7.21
Avg. Customer Rating:  18 reviews
Sales Rank: 389794
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 300
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.8
ISBN: 0393326942
Dewey Decimal Number: 338.476632009447144
EAN: 9780393326949
ASIN: 0393326942
Publication Date: January 9, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 1-5 of 18 | | NEXT » |
 Well written history of Bordeaux. August 7, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book covered the latest changes in Bordeaux in the wine business with emphasis on the individual achievement and failures. It is well written and researched. The author was very even in the handling of who has done what to improve or impede further growth of the quality of Bordeaux wines. I enjoyed it immensely and have given copies to friends.
 Biased yet engaging read July 27, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Revolving and rotating around the issues and people surrounding the great wine producing area of Bordeaux, Echikson's Noble Rot creates a non-linear history seemingly centered on the great Chateau d'Yquem and the vintages clustered around the year 2000. There is a smattering of pre 19th century history throughout the book - but likely because of the book's jumbled narrative, fails to give the reader an adequate idea of why certain peoples and ideas were truly shocking to the region.
Similar to the wine movie Mondovino (Directed by Johnathan Nossiter), Echikson introduces us to characters in the wine making world, in this case Bordeaux, who drive the narrative forward. However, perhaps because of the people he chooses, or simply because of his own bias, Echikson is quick to villify producers who are critical of the 'wine revolution' and lionize those who are decidely pro-american and what winos would call 'modern' winemakers. The bias turns up over and over again, and I was nauseated by his unabashed vindications.
Patriotic, or perhaps taste preferences aside, the book was highly engaging despite the flaws, telling the story of Bordeaux's recent history through a mixture of gossip, biography, and pure academic research. Easy to read by wine-lovers and historians alike, the book's 280 some pages was a perfect, satiating length.
NOT QUITE SO NOBLE March 29, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The title 'Noble Rot' is misleading as the term relates to part of the process of making Sauternes, whereas the book covers Bordeaux wine as a whole and even goes outside its borders; what you see is not what you get.
However, William Echikson presents a refreshing viewpoint of a fascinating topic. Whether by stint of his experience he comes up to the standards set by better known authors on the subject, is a matter of conjecture; I take the view that he falls short.
Notwithstanding, the subject of Bordeaux as a city and as a region along with its wines presents magnetic attractions and each author puts a varying and interesting case as he sees it. good value at $17.22 plus shipping.
Message in a Bottle August 26, 2006
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Each bottle of wine has a story and one tends to forget that it is a combination of good soil and climate, hard work in the fields, chemistry and, above all, human genius which transforms grape into wine. Many wine writers focus exclusively on the finished product. They taste, form an opinion, write down their impression and try the next bottle. In Noble Rot, William Echikson does not talk too much about specific wines but relates the months he spent in 2001 in the Bordeaux area. He focuses on the people who make wine, on their motivation, their philosophy, their financial and family problems. He shows that even a well established industry like the business of Bordeaux wines never stands stills. There are naturally wineries which have been owned for centuries by the same families and which try hard to replicate the same type of wines year after year regardless of the evolution of the taste of the customers. In contrary, Echikson shows that with a lot of passion and guts, it is still possible to create or rejuvenate wineries. I am not sure that the author knew what he would write about when he traveled to Bordeaux. However, as an experienced reporter, he met a few key individuals who had fascinating stories to tell and decided it to share them. The result is better than anticipated. It is a collection of stories which sometimes read like a thriller. In one case, a hedge fund and investors took over a sleeping winery and invested millions of dollars to produce a wine which would seduce American critics, sell well in the US and generate stellar returns. Echikson managed to follow these people month after month until they submitted their samples to the two American gurus. I was tired when I read this part but I could not stop reading until I knew the verdict! My only disappointment is the choice of the title Noble Rot. Families and people, whatever styles of wine they produce, deserve respect. The wine industry is just like the real world, with people who love or hate each other, strive in a changing environment or excel in a stable situation and that family conflicts are as old as the invention of wines in Greece a long time ago...
A vine read August 22, 2006
This book is a good 'slice of time' account of the Bordeaux region of France. The author manages to include lots of history and geography, as back story, interwoven with interesting stories of real people and estates. I do have to echo another reviewer's sentiment- it can be very confusing at times. I kept having to go back and re-read to keep the people and their roles straight. This book is a great companion to the documentary MONDOVINO. Many of the people and places featured in the book are in the movie.
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