Almost since the inception of this blog (it turned thirteen years old last month), I have made note of exceedingly heavy bottles. Why? While I would stop short of calling myself an “environmentalist” I certainly do care about the environment and my impact upon it.

Before some of you start rolling your eyes and lament “Here he goes again” hear me out. While it does surprise me that some (many?) out there still don’t believe that Global Warming/Climate Change is both a real thing and that humans are the biggest contributors, everyone should want to see lighter wine bottle weights.

Even if you are of the climate-denier ilk, lighter bottles should be of interest as well since they cost more to both produce and ship. And who pays for those increased costs? The consumer, obviously.

As I said, I have been on this lighter bottle crusade for some time now and I have been joined by some heavy hitters in the wine world, including Jancis Robinson, Karen MacNeil (whom I once interviewed for this blog), and my buddy Dave McIntyre at the Washington Post (OK, he might not consider me a “buddy”, but I digress).

So why does this myth that heavier glass means higher quality continue to exist? Good question. I have spent thousands of hours in wine shops and wineries all over the world and I have never seen a consumer when deciding which wine to buy, try to determine which of two bottles was heavier as if they were watermelons or, I don’t know, bowling balls?

No, I firmly believe that this myth is perpetuated by the industry itself since, frankly, it is rather lazy. Wineries, always looking to increase sales (which I don’t begrudge), often turn to marketers to help them move more bottles. Many of these “professionals” push the heavy bottle idea, convincing the wineries that the consumer takes this as a sign of quality.

Hogwash.

This is my message to wineries that still fall for this nonsense: if you think you need heavier bottles to sell your wine, what you actually need is a competent marketing department. 

Relatively recently, I have started including the weight of the empty bottle in the tasting notes that I publish here. While the majority of still wine bottles (sparkling wine bottles need to be quite a bit heavier to withstand the considerable pressure) are at or around 600 grams (~21.2 ounces), there are an increasing number of wines in bottles that weigh far less, and sadly, that weigh quite a bit more.

Thus, I have adopted this 600g weight as a line of demarcation, if you will. Above it? The bottle is too heavy, below it? Kudos to the producer.

The focus of this rant today is a producer whose wines I love, but whose bottles are some of the heaviest I have seen. My message to Meyye Wines?

Your wines are beautiful, that should be the focus, but here I am, writing an extra five hundred words or so stating how the bottles that house them are completely ridiculous and stupid.

2022 Meyye Wines Chardonnay Kuluppis, Carneros, CA: Retail $55. Heavy Bottle (628g; 22.1oz). This is the second vintage (2019) of this wine I have tried and while there still is considerable oak involved (50% barrel fermented with 50% malolactic fermentation all in French oak barrels and aged for 10 months with frequent batonage), but this wine exhibits less wood than its predecessor. In addition to the oak, there is plenty of lemon curs and apple blossom. The palate also exhibits considerable oakiness and is reminiscent of “classic” Cali Chardonnay with intense fruit flavors and, well, oak. Yeah, it’s a big boy but, holy cow, I like it. Excellent. 92 Points.

2016 Meyye Wines Zinfandel Palachchak, Shenandoah Valley, CA: Retail $50. Ridiculously Heavy Bottle (971g; 2lbs 2.3oz). 65% Picnic Hill Vineyard Zinfandel, 25% Alitia Vineyard Zinfandel, 10% Winddance Farms Syrah. Here we go again. A wine I love in a bottle I hate (yes, “hate” is a strong word, used far too often, but it is à propos, here). I feel a rant coming on… The wine is dark, even brooding, with oodles of black fruit: blackberry, plum, cassis. Hints of vanilla, oak (slight), earth (even slighter), and just a soupçon (I love that word) of anise. The palate is rich, even really rich, with a boatload of fruit and spice, a touch of heat, and a killer finish. Killer. Like what you would become if you hit somebody with this bottle. Yeesh. Outstanding. 94 Points.

2021 Meyye Wines Pinot Noir ‘Omay, Petaluma Gap, CA: Retail $75. Ridiculously Heavy Bottle (983g; 2.27oz). Under cork. 100% Sangiacomo Family Vineyards, Robert’s Road – 100% Pommard pinot clone. First, the bottle is absolutely ridiculous. I mean come on. The fact that the winery has images of wildlife on a bottle that simultaneously helps to destroy said wildlife is … if it is not hypocrisy, I am not sure what is. But the wine? The wine is absolutely gorgeous, and from one of the great vineyards on the North Coast (dare I say “Grand Cru”?). This is simply wonderful Pinot Noir: Rich and opulent with intense red fruit but also demure and lithe with subtle floral notes, a crisp tartness, and subtle, integrated tannins. But seriously, the bottle…please! Outstanding. 95 Points.

2019 Meyye Wines Sokootok, Shenandoah Valley, CA: Retail $60. Ridiculously Heavy Bottle (992g; 2lbs 3oz). Under cork. 50% Grenache, 28% Syrah, 10% Petite Sirah, 9% Counoise, 3% Zinfandel. Sigh. Another bottle that should be registered as a lethal weapon. Sigh. And yet another beautiful bird on the label that, if it had a voice, would implore the producer to use environmentally responsible bottles. This one has a looooong way to go to get anywhere near that. As for the wine, its medium color is loaded with oodles of dark fruit (blackberry, plum, and even a touch of blueberry. The palate is rich and full-bodied with, as expected, tons of fruit but also lovely spice and a zingy tartness. The lengthy finish seals the deal. Now I need a forklift to get this bottle to the recycling bin as it could likely be used to fill a new house with windows. Outstanding. 93 Points.