WF Archives, January 2006: Decoding Wines

Happy New Year! Hope everyone had safe and wonderful holidays, and may 2006 be a good vintage!

To start the New Year, Id like to state the obvious: Lot of people are intimidated by the subject of wine. In many cases, it is because of the complex and technical terms that show up in tasting notes. You may have heard description at a wine store that went something like this:

“The wine is a bit closed at first, but then opens beautifully to a pure sangiovese. The color is dark amber with wonderful deep age on the edges, while the nose is mixture of leather and tobacco. Dark, beautiful, plummy fruit with amazing balance, with an underlying hints of just the right amount of sweetness and terroir. This wine found a wonderful acid/tannin balance.”

Upon hearing that, you would probably nod knowingly, feigning agreement, or worse, back away slowly from the shop without breaking eye contact. In retrospect, you would rather have heard something simple, concise, and reassuring, something to the effect of, “it tastes great!”

However, wine is a fairly complex subject matter where simple, concise and reassuring just is not enough, especially when dealing with bottles that exceed your monthly dues at the Club. Rather than going over fundamental characteristics of wine (sweet versus dry, oak versus steel, difference in varietals, etc.) I will cover three categories that may be considered obscure but nonetheless are integral in understanding the composition of wine.

The first is the concept of “acidity,” which should not be confused with “acidic” wine. Consider that a ripe fruit is high in acidity, though it may not necessarily be acidic. Therefore, when it comes to acidity in wine, I usually evaluate the level by judging the degree of how much it makes my mouth water. Dr. L Riesling by Loosen Brothers ($10) is a good example of wine that is high in acid but not acidic.

The role of acid in wine is to give the flavor both backbone and depth. Acidity is a vital term when considering the food/wine pairing, as wines with higher acidity allows the flavor of the wines to stand up to richer dishes. It should be no surprise that high acid wines such as Rieslings, Champagnes, other sparkling wines, and Pinot Noirs are considered to be among the most food-friendly wines.

Of course, wine can be both high in acid and acidic. One such example would be Muscadet. To alleviate the confusion between acidity and acidic, I typically use the word “astringent” in place of “acidic.” Muscadet is said to be an ideal pairing for raw oysters. The acidity in Muscadet allows the wine to stand up to the fatty flesh of the oyster, instead of being overwhelmed. At the same time, citrus-like astringency serves to complement the flavor of oyster, a lá lemon juice.

On the other spectrum, wine with no acidity results in a very flat or “flabby” wine that lacks the staying power. One such example is Bacchus Red Wine from Republic of Georgia. Everything about the wine seemed perfect at first: deep and rich in color with elegant and regal nose reminiscent of an old cigar box. When I tasted the wine, the flavor was thin without depth, and had a very clean and dry finish. Although there were hints of currants and violet, it was not memorable on the palate. This wine would have been practically undetectable had I paired it with steak.

If I were to pick one characterization of wines as being elusive, it would have to be “terroir.” Terroir (‘terr-wah’) is a French term used to describe the flavors bestowed upon grapes by the geographic factors rather than the grape varietal or production method. It is a loose term that could include such variables as the soil and microclimate. A common description is the presence of minerals, a briny undertone that is common in many of the Old World white wines. Try a bottle of 2004 Lugana, Tenuta Roveglia ($10) made from Trebbiano grape to taste the minerals.

Aside from minerals, some wines can feature flavors derived from the soil. In white wines, I noticed a very distinctive flinty flavor in 2002 Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett, Fritz Haag ($26) from Germany. In the red, 2003 Na Vota Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato by Cantine Sant’Agata ($18), using indigenous Ruché grape of Piedmont, does a fine job showcasing the soft chalky flavor and clayish texture derived from limy soil.

Lastly, I will mention tannins as important element in considering wine selection for three reasons: weight of the wine, ageability, and mouth- feel. Tannin is a bitter tasting substance found in red wines that serves as a preservative, and is derived from grape skin, stems, seeds, and barrels. Aside from wine, tea and coffee are also known for their tannic content.

Because tannin is a preservative, there is a direct correlation between the weight of the wine and ageability. Heavier the wine, longer they can age. Examples of such wines include Bordeaux, California Cabernet Sauvignon, Barolo, and Amarone, among others. Conversely, wines that are meant to be drank young are either light bodied red wine such as Pinot Noir and Beaujolais Nouveau, or white wines in general. As a simple guideline, tannic wines complement red meats and game, while the lighter style favor white meats such as poultry, pork, veal, and fish.

Tannins also have direct impact on the mouth-feel, a very underrated quality in wine. They range from being silky smooth to chewy in texture. Many wines fall into the category of silky wines, and I find that the majority of Rioja Crianzas, Portugese Vihno Tintos, Merlots, and younger Californian Cabernets consistently exhibit that texture. A good bottle to sample would be 2001 Chateau Le Bonnat ($13) from Bordeaux.

The wines with silky yet substantial body and flavor can be referred to as being “inky” or “plummy.” Examples of such wines include higher-end Shirazes (i.e., Penfold’s in the $20 range), many of the recent vintages of both California Cabernets and Zinfandels in the $15~25 range, and Primativos from Italy. A-Mano Primitivo ($11) is a good representative.

Lastly, there are the super heavy weights. These are the wines that stick to your gums, tongue, and roofs of your mouths, turning your smile into one that would rival Barney the Purple Dinosaur’s. Wines of note would include 2002 Bogle Petite Syrah ($11), 2000 Chateau Cadillac Lesgourges ($13), and Veramonte Primus, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cameňere ($15).

Armed with such knowledge, I hope that you can now decode the tasting note from the third paragraph to get a better idea of what that wine would be like. And please feel free to break eye contact with me at any moment.