The 30!
Here is the initial list of 30 terms we’re going to begin with. We’ve had a few tastings already, and I’m glad to see lively discussion is already improving our understanding of the terms and our communication about the wine.
The 30! (as sourced from Wikipedia – of all places!)
- Accessible A wine that is easy to drink without an overwhelming sense of tannin, acidity or extract.
- Acidic A wine with a noticeable sense of acidity.
- Balanced A wine that incorporates all its main components—tannins, acid, sweetness, and alcohol—in a manner where no one single component stands out.
- Big A wine with intense flavor, or high in alcohol.
- Buttery A wine that has gone through malolactic fermentation and has a rich, creamy mouthfeel with flavors reminiscent of butter.
- Classic A subjective term used to denote a wine of exceptional quality that display the typicity of its varietal(s), displays layers of complexity and is very well balanced.
- Corked A tasting term for a wine that has cork taint
- Earthy This can mean a wine with aromas and flavor reminiscent of earth–such as forest floor or mushrooms. It can also refer to the drying impression felt on the palate caused by high levels of geosmin that occur naturally in grapes.
- Elegant A term to describe a wine that possess finesse with subtle flavors that are in balance.
- Expressive A wine with clearly projected aromas and flavors.
- Farmyard A generally more positive term than “Barnyard” used to describe the earthy and vegetal undertones that some Chardonnay and Pinot noir develop after maturing in the bottle. While for some wine drinkers this may not be very appealing, for others this maybe a sign that the wine has entered its peak drinking period.
- Feminine Describes a wine that emphasize more it delicate flavors, silky textures and subtle aromas rather strength, weight and intensity of fruit.
- Fleshy A wine with a noticeable perception of fruit and extract.
- Fruit(y) The perception of the grape characteristics and sense of body that is unique to the varietal.
- Jammy A wine that is rich in fruit but maybe lacking in tannins.
- Lean The sense of acidity in the wine that lacks a perception of fruit.
- Leathery A red wine high in tannins, with a thick and soft taste.
- Meaty A wine with a rich, full body (and often pronounce tannins and extract) that gives the drinker the impression of being able to “chew” it.
- Minerality A sense of mineral-ness in the wine, flavors of slate, shist, silex, etc
- Oaky A wine with a noticeable perception of the effects of oak. This can include the sense of vanilla, sweet spices like nutmeg, a creamy body and a smoky or toasted flavor.
- Opulent A rich tasting wine with a pleasing texture mouthfeel that is well balanced.
- Oxidative Unlike “oxidized”, this is generally a more positive term describing a wine that has experienced constrained exposure to oxidation over the course of its aging process. The aromas and flavors that develop as a wine oxidatively matures can range from nuttiness, biscuity and butteriness to more spicy notes.
- Peppery A wine with the aromas and flavors reminiscent of the fruit from the Piper family of plants such as black peppercorn associated with Syrah and Grenache based wine or the aroma of crushed white pepper associated with Gruner Veltliner.
- Powerful A wine with a high level of alcohol that is not excessively alcoholic.
- Smokey A wine exhibiting the aromas and flavors of the various types of smoke, such as tobacco smoke, roasting fire smoke and a toasty smoke derived from oak influences.
- Spicy A wine with aromas and flavors reminiscent of various spices such as black pepper and cinnamon. While this can be a characteristic of the grape varietal, many spicy notes are imparted from oak influences.
- Sweet A wine with a noticeable sense of sugar levels.
- Tannic A wine with aggressive tannins.
- Unoaked Also known as unwooded, refers to wines that have been matured without contact with wood/oak such as in aging barrels.
- Upfront A wine with very perceivable characteristics and quality that do not require much thought or effort to discover.
- Vegetal A wine with aromas and flavor reminiscent of vegetation as oppose to fruit or floral notes.
Advertisement
