Glossary of Wine Terms
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TASTING
TERMS
The following is a list of the most common
grape varieties used in California's fine wines and
their profiles:
CHARDONNAY
-BUTTERY STYLE-mango, cream, buttery,
toast, pineapple, banana, melons, peach, honey, low
acidity. CRISP STYLE -green apple,
pears, acacia, biscuit, grapefruit, honey, nuts, lemon,
moderate acidity.
SAUVIGNON
BLANC-pink grapefruit, lime, grassy,
gooseberry, kiwi, moderate-high acidity
VIOGNIER-orange
blossom, peaches, apricots, jasmine, candied citrus
peel, low acidity
PINOT GRIS/PINOT
GRIGIO-honeysuckle, apple, mango, musky,
moderate acidity
CABERNET
SAUVIGNON-plum, blackcurrant, black
cherry, green bell pepper, eucalyptus, tobacco, full
body, high tannins
MERLOT-
plums, figs, black cherry, black currants, raspberry,
truffles, nuts, chocolate, coffee, medium to full body,
smooth tannins, low acidity
ZINFANDEL-jammy,
raisin, prune, blackberry, raspberry, black pepper,
clove, roses, pine, light to full body, low acidity,
low to moderate tannins
SYRAH-leather,
meaty, blackberry, violets, mulberry, rosemary, licorice,
black pepper, medium to full body, high tannins,
PINOT NOIR-cranberry,
cherries, raspberry, earthy, barnyard, strawberry, lighter
body, moderate acidity, low tannins
SANGIOVESE-
bitter cherries, violets, tomato, rose, green spices,
medium body, high acidity and tannins |
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ACETIC ACID
Wines contain several types of acid, but acetic is the bad one:
it suggests vinegar and is sometimes referred to as volatile acidity.
If present at more than minimal levels, it makes a wine unpleasant.
ACIDITY
Acid is present in all grapes, and therefore all wines. It is extremely
important (particularly in white wines) in determining structure,
shape and lifespan. Good acid levels can make a wine crisp and refreshing,
supporting the aftertaste. Acidity also helps preserve a wine. Wines
low in acidity are often described as tasting flabby.
AERATION
Letting a wine "breathe" before drinking it in order to
soften the tannins, smooths out the wine, and allow the bouquet
and flavors to open up. Young red wines benefit most from aeration,
which is accomplished by decanting the bottle into another container;
or else, by swirling the wine in a glass.
AFTERTASTE
Also called the "finish," this is the taste that remains
in the mouth after the wine is swallowed. A really great wine will
have a long, complex aftertaste.
AGGRESSIVE
A term used to describe a wine with harsh flavors, often the result
of too much tannin or acid.
AMERICAN OAK
Along with French oak, American oak is the most widely used wood
in the world to build barrels for wine aging. American oak barrels
are most often used to age red wines (especially Zinfandels, Cabernets
and Syrahs), Spanish Sherries, Australian red wines, Bourbon and
Scotch. Less frequently utilized in the production of white wines,
American oak has a different spice flavor than French oak. In fact,
the flavors vary from different forests and states. Kentucky oak
imparts mellower flavors, for example, than Oregon oak. Examples
of two famous California wines aged in 100% American oak are the
classic vintages of Beaulieu Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
(from the 1940's to the 1970's) and ZD Chardonnay.
AMERICAN VITICULTURAL AREA (AVA)
A particular geographical location, such as Napa Valley and Sonoma
Valley, which has been officially, designated a grape-growing area
in the United States by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
See also: viticultural area.
APPELLATION
A system developed by the French to regulate the authenticity of
their finest wines. Appellation applies specifically to the region
where the grapes were grown. The French also regulate what grapes
can be grown where; what winemaking methods can be used; how large
the yields can be; etc. Other countries have adopted their own versions
of controlled appellations with varying success.
AROMA
The scent of a wine--frequently used interchangeably with the word
"bouquet." Some tasters apply the term aroma only to the
fruit-like fragrances of a young wine, and subsequently refer to
the more complex smells of bottle-aged wines as bouquet.
ASTRINGENT
The mouth puckering sensation caused by wines (usually reds) that
are high in tannin. Sometimes astringency can be appealing in a
wine and favorably complement food. Astringency tends to decline
with bottle age.
AUSTERE
Describes high acid wines; sometimes used in reference to young
wines.
BACKBONE
Often used to describe wines with good acidity and tannic structure.
BAKED/COOKED
A characteristic-usually not complementary-of wines produced from
very ripe and over-ripe grapes.
BALANCE
Describes a wine with harmonious elements, in reference to the balance
of acids, tannins and fruit.
BALTHAZAR
A huge bottle that holds 16 standard bottles.
BARREL FERMENTED
Wine (usually whites) fermented in, typically, 55-gallon oak barrels
rather than neutral containers such as stainless steel. Barrel fermentation
requires careful cellar attention, but can contribute to increasing
the complexity and flavor of a wine by adding suggestions of spice
and vanilla from the interaction of the wine and the wood. Most
often used in the fermentation of Chardonnay.
BITTER
Often caused by too much tannin, this is most often not a desirable
trait in wine. However, many Italian red wines feature an appealing
amount of bitterness that balances wonderfully with pasta and tomato
sauces.
BLANC
DE BLANCS
Wine made of white grapes, such as sparkling wines made from Chardonnay.
BLANC DE NOIRS
White wine made from red grapes, such as sparkling wines made from
Pinot Noir. Blanc de Noirs often have a pale pink color.
BODY
The feeling of a wine's weight in the mouth, such as full-bodied,
medium-bodied or light-bodied.
BOTRYTIS CINEREA
A fungus or mold that causes grapes to shrivel and become very concentrated.
Also called the "Noble Rot," it is a desirable condition
and causes ripe grapes to shrivel, resulting in the remaining juice
becoming very concentrated. Such nobly rotted grapes yield the honeyed
richness of many classic dessert wines like French Sauternes, German
Trockenbeerenauslese, and Hungarian Tokaji. Conditions are right
for the formation of Botrytis only in certain vintages and the wines
cannot be produced in every year.
BOTTLE SICKNESS
A temporary condition (often caused by shaking a bottle) that interferes
with a wine's fruit flavors. It can be alleviated with a few days'
rest.
BOTTLED BY
Indicates the winery bottled the wine but did not necessarily grow,
pick or ferment the grapes.
BOUQUET
Often used interchangeably with the word aroma. Some tasters use
the term to specifically refer to the scents of a bottle-aged wine,
which includes the complexities beyond the fruit aromas of a young
wine.
BRILLIANT
A wine of absolute clarity. This is not important to most experienced
tasters, since highly filtered wines will always be brilliant-yet
the process of filtration can strip much of the flavor and character
from a fine wine. Most of the finest wines available deposit sediment
with aging.
BRIX
A system used to measure the sugar content of grapes and wine. On
labels, wineries sometimes list the Brix at the time of harvest
to express the degree of ripeness of the grapes (normally in the
range of 20° to 25°).
BRUT
Used by sparkling wine producers to indicate a dry wine; a producer's
Brut is always drier than an Extra Dry bottling.
BULK PROCESS
See Charmat.
BUTTERY
Describes rich wines with a texture like that of melted butter,
often referring to Chardonnay.
CAPSULE
The metal or plastic material that covers the cork and top of a
wine bottle. Now used for decorative purposes more than anything,
capsules originally functioned as a means of protecting corks in
old cellars from being attacked by insects, etc.
CASK NUMBER
An unregulated term that suggests a wine is special. Some wineries
use a cask number to indicate their finest-or reserve bottling,
such as Stag's Leap Wine Cellars and the classic Inglenook Napa
wines. But cask numbers can be applied to any wine-as can the word
reserve.
CHAPTALIZATION
To add sugar during the fermentation process when the grapes have
not ripened adequately, for the purpose of raising the alcohol level
of the wine. It is not done to make the wine sweet, as the sugar
is fermented into alcohol. Chaptalization is common in northern
Europe, where grapes have to struggle to fully ripen. It is legal
in some regions (Burgundy) and not allowed in others (California).
CHARMAT
Also known as bulk process, this is an inexpensive way to create
bubbles in sparkling wine. The wine undergoes fermentation in stainless
steel tanks rather than individual bottles, and is bottled under
pressure rather like pop. The result is coarser, larger bubbles
and simpler flavors-but bulk process sparkling wines can be sold
much more cheaply than methode champanoise wines. Popular American
examples include brands such as Cooks and Andre.
CHEWY
Describes full-bodied, sometimes tannic wines-rich enough to chew
on.
CLEAN
A well-made wine with no off smells or flavors.
CLONE
The offspring of grape vines that contains the genetic material
of the parent. There are very many clones of grape varieties such
as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir-some may ripen earlier than others,
produce a larger yield, or have different characteristics the grower
considers important. Research is continuing in this field and clonal
selections are being studied in vineyards all over the world.
COMPLEXITY
When a wine is at once rich and deep, yet balanced and showing finesse.
No greater compliment can be paid a wine. A mature Chateau Latour,
d'Yquem or La Tache Burgundy are prime examples of complex wines.
CORKED
Describes a wine that smells and tastes musty or moldy; a problem
caused by a defective cork.
CORRECT VARIETIES
Varietal correctness should be an important component
in judging a wine’s quality. Unfortunately, many magazines,
wine reviews, and competitions overlook this aspect of wine. As
a wine salesperson, I find this disturbing and disheartening. How
can a customer reliably choose a wine off the shelf it doesn’t
taste like the variety stated on the label? How can I as a sales
person accurately judge someone’s tastes if they think they
enjoy a certain variety but have only had an incorrect version?
Rewarding varietal incorrectness in wine, rewards the idea of a
homogenous world wine that tastes like all the others. In an ever
changing industry where the lines of wine styles and countries are
becoming more and more muted to support a corporate idea of the
best way to sell a lot of wine, throwing hundreds of years of wine
evolution out the window. This disregards their inherent differences;
differences in variety, terroir, and an individual winemaker’s
influence.
Now, I am not saying that some of these incorrect
wines do not taste good, some of them taste very nice indeed but
they are still inherently wrong. If I were a judge on a panel I
would have no problem giving a delicious yet incorrect wine a low
score. We use different grapes to make wines so that we can have
different wines for all types of foods and fancies, what is the
point of a Sauvignon Blanc that tastes like a Chardonnay, just make
Chardonnay! Covering up bad winemaking or inferior grapes by calling
it a style is just unprofessional.
CRUSH
The season, usually September or October in the Northern Hemisphere,
when grapes are harvested and crushed.
CRUST
The name applied to sediment that forms in the bottom and sides
of a wine bottle, commonly found in Vintage Ports.
CUVEE
Like the words cask and reserve, cuvee is an unregulated term that
some wineries use to indicate a special (or reserve) batch of wine.
DECANTING
To slowly pour wine from the bottle into another container, thereby
ridding the wine of its sediment.
DEMI-SEC
Literally "partly dry" though when referring to sparkling
wines it indicates slight to medium sweetness. In sparkling wines,
Demi-Sec is always sweeter than Extra Dry and Brut.
DEPTH
Describes a wine of complexity and intense flavors; a wine that
makes more than a first impression and is worth paying attention
to.
DRY
No discernible sugar taste.
DRYING OUT
When a wine's fruit flavor has been diminished due to age; a wine
becomes less attractive and past its prime when the flavors are
overtaken by the taste of tannin, acid or alcohol.
EARTHY
Can either describe a clean, complex taste and aroma that reminds
one of fresh garden soil; or a funky, livestock and farm-like connotation
that is not a compliment. As a positive example, earthy is often
used to describe the wonderful flavor of red Graves wines such as
Chateau Haut Brion.
ELEGANT
Describes beautiful, well balanced wines-graceful, not necessarily
full-bodied.
ENOLOGY
The science of winemaking; also spelled oenology.
ENOPHILE
Someone who enjoys and appreciates fine wine; also spelled oenophile.
ESTATE-BOTTLED
Indicates a winery owns the vineyard from whence the grapes come
or has a long-term lease arrangement for the grapes.
EXTRA-DRY
The equivalent of semi-dry, Extra Dry is a term used to describe
sparkling wines that are not as dry as Brut.
EXTRACT
Pronounced concentration of fruit in a wine. A good sign unless
it is manifested in too-high levels of tannin. The components and
concentration of a wine that contribute to its flavor. Over-extracted
wines, however, are often harsh due to fermenting too long on the
grape skins.
FAT
Describes the feel of wines that are full-bodied and mouth filling.
Most late-harvest dessert wines, for example, are luscious and fat.
FERMENTATION
When sugar is turned to alcohol by yeast, causing grape juice to
become wine.
FIELD BLEND
It used to be a common practice to intersperse complementary grapevines
in a vineyard; when all the grapes are harvested together, the resulting
wine is often referred to as a field blend. Examples include many
of the old Sonoma Zinfandel vineyards (such as Ridge Lytton Springs)
where Petite Sirah was commonly planted with Zinfandel.
FILTERING
A process of "cleaning up" a wine used after fermentation
(and before bottling); similar to running coffee through a filter,
but arguably not always necessary to produce fine wine. The purpose
of filtering is to remove sediment, grape skins, dead yeast, etc.,
from the wine. Filtering can range from very fine to coarse; however,
it is increasingly being minimized (or avoided whenever possible)
because the finer the filtering, the more flavors and character
are stripped from the wine. Many wineries are using the more labor-intensive,
old-fashioned practices of fining or racking to clarify wines these
days. Historically, many filters before the 1980's were made from
asbestos.
FINING
A traditional winemaker technique for clarifying wines by adding
egg whites or bentonite (clay) to casks of wine; the eggs collect
particles and sediment and slowly sink to the bottom of the cask
(where the material is then removed). Considered a less intrusive
process for clarifying wines than filtering.
FINISH
The lasting impression, or aftertaste, of a wine on the palate.
A long, complex finish is desirable.
FLABBY
Soft feel and lack of acidity on the palate; the opposite of firmly
structured wines.
FLAT
Often used to describe wines that are low in acidity and lack zip.
FLESHY
Soft, smooth texture with low tannins.
FLINTY
A stone or mineral-like character often used to describe Sauvignon
Blanc and French Chablis.
FLORAL
Tasting and/or smelling of flowers
FORTIFIED
Wines with a higher than normal alcohol content due to the addition
of brandy or spirits. Examples include Port, Sherry and Madeira.
FRENCH OAK
The classic wood for wine barrels, it imparts flavors of vanilla,
cedar and/or other spices. The oak from different French forests
lends slightly different characteristics to the wine, and is therefore
named for the forest region from which it was harvested. Famous
French names include Limousin, Nevers, Allier and Troncais. French
oak is vital not only in the production of great French wines, but
is also used around the world to age everything from California
Chardonnay to Oregon Pinot Noir to Australian Cabernets.
FRUIT BOMB
An informal wine term often applied to New World (especially California)
wines produced from very ripe grapes that emphasize lush fruit flavors
combined with soft, low acid structures. Examples of fruit bombs
include the soft, tropical-fruit-like Chardonnays of Kendall-Jackson.
GRASSY
Characteristics reminding the taster of grass or fresh hay; frequently
used to describe the flavor and aroma of Sauvignon Blanc.
HARD
High in acidity or tannins; a less complementary way of describing
a firmly structured wine.
HEADY
High in alcohol.
HERBACEOUS
Tasting or smelling of herbs; frequently a component of Cabernets
and Sauvignon Blancs.
HOLLOW
Lacking in middle flavors and structure; the sense that something
is missing between the first taste and the finish. Hollow wines
are often the result of yields that are too large, diluting the
quality of the grapes.
HOT
Describes unbalanced, high alcohol wines that have a burning flavor
sensation.
HOUSE STYLE
Nonvintage wines (which are blends of multiple vintages) allow vintners
to create a "house style" by blending for consistency
and distinctive, recognizable aromas and flavors year after year.
For example, Champagne producers create a house style with their
nonvintage Brut bottlings; Port producers create a house style with
their nonvintage ruby and aged tawny ports.
IMPERIAL
A large bottle that holds the equivalent of eight regular bottles.
JEROBOAM
A large bottle that holds the equivalent of six regular bottles;
however, in Champagne a Jeroboam holds four bottles of wine.
LATE HARVEST
Wines made from grapes picked later than normal (and therefore with
higher sugar content), usually dessert wines. Most late harvest
wines contain some residual sugar.
LATE-BOTTLED VINTAGE PORT
LBV's are an increasingly popular category of Port. Similar to--but
less-expensive than--Vintage Ports (which must by law be bottled
within 2 ½ years of the vintage), LBV's spend an extra 3
or 4 years mellowing in barrel before bottling. Therefore, they
are more mature and easy-to-drink than Vintage Ports from the same
year. Some LBV's are filtered before bottling; those labeled "Tradition"
are unfiltered and will deposit sediment with further aging.
LEAN
Indicates a wine is lacking in mouth-filling sensations.
LEES
Sediment and yeast found in a barrel or tank during and after fermentation.
Increasingly, New World winemakers are using the old technique of
aging the wine on the lees to increase complexities in the aromas
and flavors. "Sur Lie" is the French term for a wine left
on the lees.
LEGS
The drops of wine that slide down the sides of the glass when it
is swirled. Legs indicate the glycerol content of the wine, alcohol
content and residual sugar.
LENGTH
The amount of time a wine's taste and aroma are evident after it
has been swallowed.
LIMOUSIN
A type of French oak cask, from the forests of Limoges, France.
See French oak.
MACERATION
Stirring the grape skins (and sometimes stems) with the wine during
the fermentation process in order to extract color, tannin and aroma.
MADE AND BOTTLED BY
A near meaningless term with few legal requirements; in California,
for example, a winery can use this phrase even though the winery
crushed, fermented and bottled only ten percent of the wine in the
bottle.
MADERIZED
A wine showing evidence of oxidation, including a brownish color
and bad Madeira-like flavor.
MAGNUM
A bottle that holds 1.5 liters, the equivalent of two standard size
wine bottles.
MALOLACTIC FERMENTATION
This refers to a secondary fermentation, which converts the malic
acid in a wine to softer lactic acid, and thereby reduces the total
acidity of the wine. This softens and adds complexity to most red
wines, and contributes to the buttery richness of white wines such
as Chardonnay. Not all wines go through malolactic fermentation.
MATURE
Ready to drink.
MERITAGE
A term coined by California wineries, for Bordeaux-style red and
white blended wines that often don't meet minimal labeling requirements
for varietals. If a winery produces a Meritage wine, it is frequently
their most expensive blended dry wine. Examples of wines that fall
into this category include Opus One, Phelps’s Insignia and
Dominus.
METHODE CHAMPENOISE
The secondary, inside-the-bottle fermentation that is used to create
authentic Champagne and other high quality sparkling wines. It's
what creates the bubbles in the finest sparkling wines, but it is
an expensive, labor-intensive process. Cheaper bubblies are made
by the Charmat process. See Charmat.
MINERALITY
Aromas of various stones, metals and minerals in wine,
such as: limestone, flint, chalk, etc.
METHUSELAH
An extra-large bottle holding 6 liters; the equivalent of eight
standard bottles.
MUST
What grape juice is called before it becomes wine.
NEBUCHADNEZZAR
A giant wine bottle holding the equivalent of 20 standard bottles.
NOBLE ROT
See Botrytis cinerea.
NONVINTAGE
Wine blended from multiple harvests; nonvintage wines are particularly
common in Champagne and sparkling wines, Sherries and Ports. Blending
allows the winemaker to create an individual "house" style
that can be fairly consistent from bottle to bottle, year after
year. Examples include Krug Champagne and Grahams 20-year-old Tawny
Port.
NOUVEAU
A tradition started in Beaujolais, these are usually quickly fermented
fruity red wines that are the first release of the new harvest.
The best from France, Italy and California are fresh, fruity and
dry-a celebration of the harvest, they are greatly enjoyable during
the fall and winter holidays. Bottled rapidly after fermentation
is completed and rushed to the market, Nouveau wines display all
their charms from the get-go and should be consumed within a few
months of release.
OAKY
Describes the overtly obvious aromas or taste characters resulting
from a wines interaction with the oak of a wood barrel.
OFF-DRY
A slightly sweet wine.
OXIDIZED
A wine that has lost its freshness from exposure to the air, similar
to an apple turning brown and losing its flavor once the skin is
peeled away. Oxidation is what ruins the flavors of leftover wines.
Using products such as Private Preserve Wine Preserver (which blankets
the wine with inert gas and prevents contact with oxygen) can prevent
oxidation.
PEAK
The time when a wine displays its smoothest, fullest flavors, this
can vary from a few months for Nouveau or fragile white wines, to
spans of decades for long-lived Ports, Bordeaux and dessert wines.
PH
A chemical measurement of the intensity of the acidity in a wine;
the lower the pH, the more intense the acid. Low pH wines are better
candidates for aging as they are less sensitive to oxidation and
have greater resistance to bacteria. But pH is really a much more
important factor to winemakers than to most consumers.
PHYLLOXERA
The name of a root louse, which attacks and devastates grapevines.
It spread from America to Europe in the 1860's and destroyed the
vineyards of France, then spread elsewhere. Most of the world's
vineyards are now planted on American rootstock (which is more resistant
to Phylloxera). However, in the last 20 years it has become rampant
in the Napa Valley and caused major replanting.
PRIVATE RESERVE
A label once used to indicate a producer's finest bottlings; Private
Reserve has no legal definition and is now applied to everything
from cheap wines to $100 bottles.
PUNT
The name of the indentation found in the bottom of most wine bottles.
RACKING
A term for the traditional winemaker practice of moving wine from
one container to another. It's essentially decanting on a grand
scale by moving a wine from barrel to barrel. The purpose of racking
is to rid the wine of sediment by leaving it behind in the first
barrel. It requires more labor, but racking is less disturbing to
the wine than filtration.
REHOBOAM
A large bottle equivalent to six regular bottles.
RESERVE PORT
See Vintage Character Port.
RESIDUAL SUGAR
A measurement, usually expressed in degrees of Brix, of the amount
of grape sugar remaining in a wine after fermentation is completed.
Dry wines have little or no residual sugar; dessert wines have much
residual sugar.
RICH
An expression indicating opulent, full flavors-not necessarily sweet.
ROBUST
Full-bodied, intense.
ROUND
Describes a smooth wine.
SALMANAZAR
A large bottle that holds the equivalent of 12 regular bottles.
SOFT
Wines that are low in acid have a soft texture in the mouth.
SPICY
A complementary description applicable to many fine wines: Syrah
usually displays a pepper spice character; Pinot Noir frequently
has suggestions of cinnamon; and oak barrels contribute a vanilla-spice
element.
SPRITZY
A pleasant, light sparkling sensation (sometimes found in young
wines) caused by a slight secondary fermentation, or the addition
of carbon dioxide.
STEMMY
Green, astringent character of wines fermented too long with the
grape stems. A green, sometimes astringent character.
STILL WINE
A term that applies to any wine that is not sparkling.
STRUCTURE
A wine's texture, mouthfeel and balance.
SULFITES
Sulfites are a derivative of sulfur and a natural by-product of
fermentation. Most wines contain very low levels of sulfites, which
have been used for hundreds of years by winemakers to clean and
sterilize equipment and barrels; to kill off bacteria; and to prevent
browning and possible spoilage. Sulfur is also sometimes sprayed
in a vineyard to prevent disease and pests. Most wines contain very
low levels of sulfites even when the winemaker doesn't utilize sulfur
anywhere! Under U.S. law, any wine with sulfites higher than 10
ppm must state, "contains sulfites" on the label.
SUPPLE
Describes wines of a harmonious, velvety texture-often applicable,
for example, to the Merlot wines of Pomerol and St. Emilion.
SUR LIE
Indicates a wine was aged "on the lees" (sediment consisting
mainly of dead yeast cells and small grape particles). This process
is a normal procedure for fermenting red wines; Burgundian winemakers
discovered that it often added complexity to their Chardonnays,
and now this process enriches many white wines from around the world.
TABLE WINE
In the United States, any wine that is between 7-14% alcohol can
be labeled simply as "table wine" and does not have to
state the actual alcohol content.
TANNIN
Tannins are a natural substance found in many plants (including
grapes and tea leaves) that produce an astringent, mouth puckering
sensation. Tannins are common in most fine young red wines and help
form natural preservatives that allow wines to develop and age;
with time, they smooth out and disappear. Brew yourself a strong
cup of black tea to experience and immediately identify tannins.
TARTRATES
Beautiful, natural and totally harmless crystals that often form
in the cask, in the sediment and on the corks of naturally made
wines. These deposits come from the tartaric acids present in wines;
though they look like cut glass, they are totally safe. In fact,
they are a positive indication to experienced tasters that a wine
has not been overly processed.
TERRIOR
A French term used to indicate the influence of place
on the aromas and flavors of a wine.
THIN
Lacking body; often used to describe a diluted tasting wine with
little potential for improvement.
TOASTY
A flavor imparted by oak barrels and sometimes descriptive of sparkling
wines with prolonged lees aging as well.
VARIETAL CHARACTER
The aromas and taste sensations typical of a particular grape variety.
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