acetic—Wines, no matter how well made, contain quantities of acetic acid. If there is an excessive amount of acetic acid, the wine will have a vinegary smell.
acidic—Wines need natural acidity to taste fresh and lively, but an excess of acidity results in an acidic wine that is tart and sour.
acidity—The acidity level in a wine is critical to its enjoyment and livelihood. The natural acids that appear in wine are citric, tartaric, malic, and lactic. Wines from hot years tend to be lower in acidity, whereas wines from cool, rainy years tend to be high in acidity. Acidity in a wine preserves the wine’s freshness and keeps the wine lively.
aftertaste—As the term suggests, the taste left in the mouth after one swallows is the aftertaste. This word is a synonym for length or finish. The longer the aftertaste lingers in the mouth (assuming it is a pleasant taste), the finer the quality of the wine.
aggressive—“Aggressive” is usually applied to wines that are either high in acidity or have harsh tannins, or both.
angular—Angular wines are wines that lack roundness, generosity, and depth. Wines from poor vintages or wines that are too acidic are often described as being angular.
aroma—“Aroma” is the smell of a young wine before it has had sufficient time to develop nuances of smell that are then called its bouquet. The word “aroma” is commonly used to mean the smell of a relatively young, unevolved wine.
astringent—Wines that are astringent are not necessarily bad or good wines. Astringent wines are harsh and coarse to taste, either because they are too young and tannic and just need time to develop or because they are not well made. The level of tannin in a wine contributes to its degree of astringence.
austere—Wines that are austere are generally not terribly pleasant wines to drink. An austere wine is a hard, rather dry wine that lacks richness and generosity. However, young, promising Bordeaux can often express itself as austere, and aging of such wine will reveal more generosity than its youthful austerity suggested.
balance—One of the most desired traits in a wine is good balance, where the concentration of fruit, level of tannin, and acidity are in total harmony. Well-balanced wines are symmetrical and tend to age gracefully.
barnyard—An unclean, farmyard, fecal aroma that is imparted to a wine because of unclean barrels or generally unsanitary winemaking facilities.
berrylike—As this descriptive term implies, wines, particularly Bordeaux wines that are young and not overly oaked, have an intense berry fruit character that can suggest blackberries, raspberries, black cherries, mulberries, or even strawberries and cranberries.
big—A big wine is a large-framed, full-bodied wine with an intense and concentrated feel on the palate. Bordeaux wines in general are not big wines in the same sense that Rhône wines are, but the top vintages of Bordeaux produce very rich, concentrated, deep wines.
black currant—A pronounced smell of the black currant fruit is commonly associated with red Bordeaux wines. It can vary in intensity from faint to very deep and rich.
body—“Body” is the weight and fullness of a wine that can be sensed as it crosses the palate. Full-bodied wines tend to have a lot of alcohol, concentration, and glycerine.
Botrytis cinerea—The fungus that attacks the grape skins under specific climatic conditions (usually interchanging periods of moisture and sunny weather). It causes the grape to become super-concentrated because it causes a natural dehydration. Botrytis cinerea is essential for the great sweet white wines of Barsac and Sauternes.
bouquet—As a wine’s aroma becomes more developed from bottle aging, the aroma is transformed into a bouquet, which is hopefully more than just the smell of the grape.
brawny—A hefty, muscular, full-bodied wine with plenty of weight and flavor, although not always the most elegant or refined sort of wine.
briary—I usually think of California Zinfandel rather than Bordeaux when the term “briary” comes into play. Briary denotes that the wine is aggressive and rather spicy.
brilliant—“Brilliant” relates to the color of the wine. A brilliant wine is one that is clear, with no haze or cloudiness.
browning—As red wines age, their color changes from ruby/purple to dark ruby, to medium ruby, to ruby with an amber edge, to ruby with a brown edge. When a wine is browning it is usually fully mature and is not likely to get better.
cedar—Bordeaux reds often have a bouquet that suggests either faintly or overtly the smell of cedarwood. It is a complex aspect of the bouquet.
chewy—If a wine has a rather dense, viscous texture from a high glycerine content it is often referred to as being chewy. High extract wines from great vintages can often be chewy.
closed—The term “closed” is used to denote that the wine is not showing its potential, which remains locked in because it is too young. Young Bordeaux often close up about 12–18 months after bottling and, depending on the vintage and storage conditions, remain in such a state for anywhere from several years to more than a decade.
complex—One of the most subjective descriptive terms used, a “complex” wine is a wine that the taster never gets bored with and finds interesting to drink. Complex wines tend to have a variety of subtle scents and flavors that hold one’s interest in the wine.
concentrated—Fine wines, whether they are light-, medium-, or full-bodied, should have concentrated flavors. “Concentrated” denotes that the wine has a depth and richness of fruit that gives it appeal and interest. Deep is a synonym of concentrated.
corked—A corked wine is a flawed wine that has taken on the smell of cork as a result of an unclean or faulty cork. It is perceptible in a bouquet that shows no fruit, only the smell of a musty cork or damp cardboard.
decadent—If you are an ice-cream and chocolate lover, you know the feeling of eating a huge sundae lavished with hot fudge, real whipped cream, and rich vanilla ice cream. If you are a wine enthusiast, a wine loaded with opulent, even unctuous layers of fruit, with a huge bouquet and a plump, luxurious texture can be said to be decadent.
deep—Essentially the same as concentrated, the word “deep” expresses the fact that the wine is rich, full of extract, and mouth-filling.
delicate—As this word implies, delicate wines are light, subtle, understated wines that are prized for their shyness rather than extroverted robust characters. White wines are usually more delicate than red wines.
diffuse—Wines that smell and taste unstructured and unfocused are said to be diffuse. Often when red wines are served at too warm a temperature, they become diffuse.
dumb—A dumb wine is also a closed wine, but the term “dumb” is used in a more pejorative sense. Closed wines may only need time to reveal their richness and intensity. Dumb wines may never become any better.
earthy—This term may be used in both a negative and a positive sense, however, I prefer to use “earthy” to denote a positive aroma of fresh, rich, clean soil. Earthy is a more intense smell than woodsy or truffle scents.
elegant—Although more white wines than red are described as being elegant, lighter-styled, graceful, well-balanced Bordeaux wines can be elegant.
exuberant—Like extroverted, somewhat hyper people, wines too can be gushing with fruit and seem nervous and intensely vigorous.
fat—When Bordeaux gets a very hot year for its crop and the wines attain a super sort of maturity, they are often quite rich and concentrated with low to average acidity. Often such wines are said to be fat, which is a prized commodity. If they become too fat, though, that is a flaw and they are then called flabby.
flabby—A wine that is too fat or obese is a flabby wine. Flabby wines lack structure and are heavy to taste.
fleshy—“Fleshy” is a synonym for chewy, meaty, or beefy. It denotes that the wine has a lot of body, alcohol, and extract, and usually a high glycerine content. Pomerols and St.-Emilions tend to be fleshier wines than Médocs.
floral—With the exception of some Sauternes, I rarely think of Bordeaux wines as having a floral or flowery aspect to their bouquets or aromas. However, wines like Riesling or Muscat do have a flowery component.
focused—Both a fine wine’s bouquet and flavor should be focused. “Focused” simply means that the scents, aromas, and flavors are precise and clearly delineated. If they are not, the wine is like an out-of-focus picture: diffuse, hazy, and problematic.
forward—A wine is said to be forward when its charm and character are fully revealed. While it may not be fully mature yet, a forward wine is generally quite enjoyable and drinkable. “Forward” is the opposite of “backward.”
fresh—Freshness in both young and old wines is a welcome and pleasing component. A wine is said to be fresh when it is lively and cleanly made. The opposite of fresh is stale.
fruity—A very good wine should have enough concentration of fruit so that it can be said to be fruity. Fortunately, the best Bordeaux wines will have more than just a fruity personality.
full-bodied—Wines rich in extract, alcohol, and glycerine are full-bodied wines.
green—Green wines are wines made from underripe grapes, and they lack richness and generosity as well as having a vegetal character. Green wines were often made in Bordeaux in poor vintages such as 1977 and 1972.
hard—Wines with abrasive, astringent tannins or high acidity are said to be hard. Young vintages of Bordeaux can be hard, but they should never be harsh.
harsh—If a wine is too hard it is said to be harsh. Harshness in a wine, young or old, is a flaw.
hedonistic—Certain styles of wine are meant to be inspected, and they are more introspective and intellectual wines. Others are designed to provide sheer delight, joy, and euphoria. Hedonistic wines can be criticized because in one sense they provide so much ecstasy they can be called obvious, but in essence, they are totally gratifying wines meant to fascinate and enthrall—pleasure at its best.
herbaceous—Many wines have a distinctive herbal smell that is generally said to be herbaceous. Specific herbal smells can be of thyme, lavender, rosemary, oregano, fennel, or basil.
hollow—A synonym for “shallow”; hollow wines are diluted and lack depth and concentration.
honeyed—A common personality trait of sweet Barsacs and Sauternes, a honeyed wine is one that has the smell and taste of bee honey.
hot—Rather than mean that the temperature of the wine is too warm to drink, “hot” denotes that the wine is too high in alcohol and therefore leaves a burning sensation in the back of the throat when swallowed. Wines with alcohol levels in excess of 14.5% are often hot.
jammy—When Bordeaux wines have a great intensity of fruit from excellent ripeness they can be jammy, which is a very concentrated, flavorful wine with superb extract. In great vintages such as 1982 and 1961, some of the wines are so concentrated that they are said to be jammy.
leafy—A leafy character in a wine is similar to a herbaceous character only in that it refers to the smell of leaves rather than herbs. A wine that is too leafy is a vegetal or green wine.
lean—Lean wines are slim, rather streamlined wines that lack generosity and fatness but can still be enjoyable and pleasant.
lively—A synonym for “fresh” or “exuberant,” a “lively” wine is usually a young wine with good acidity and a thirst-quenching personality.
long—A very desirable trait in a fine Bordeaux is that it should be long in the mouth. Long (or length) relates to a wine’s finish, meaning that after you swallow the wine, you sense its presence for a long time. (Thirty seconds to several minutes is great length.)
lush—Lush wines are velvety, soft, richly fruity wines that are both concentrated and fat. A lush wine can never be an astringent or hard wine.
massive—In great vintages where there is a high degree of ripeness and superb concentration, some wines can turn out to be so big, full-bodied, and rich that they are called massive. Great wines, such as the 1961 Latour and Pétrus and the 1982 Pétrus, are textbook examples of massive wines.
meaty—A chewy, fleshy wine is also said to be meaty.
mouth-filling—Big, rich, concentrated wines that are filled with fruit extract and are high in alcohol and glycerine are wines that tend to texturally fill the mouth. A mouth-filling wine is also a chewy, fleshy, fat wine.
nose—The general smell and aroma of a wine as sensed through one’s nose and olfactory senses is often called the wine’s nose.
oaky—Most top Bordeaux wines are aged from 12–30 months in small oak barrels. At the very best properties, a percentage of the oak barrels are new, and these barrels impart a toasty, vanilla flavor and smell to the wine. If the wine is not rich and concentrated, the barrels can overwhelm the wine, making it taste overly oaky. However, when the wine is rich and concentrated and the wine-maker has made a judicious use of new oak barrels, the results are a wonderful marriage of fruit and oak.
off—If a wine is not showing its true character or is flawed or spoiled in some way, it is said to be off.
overripe—An undesirable characteristic; grapes left too long on the vine become too ripe, lose their acidity, and produce wines that are heavy and imbalanced. This happens much more frequently in hot viticultural areas than in Bordeaux.
oxidized—If a wine has been excessively exposed to air during either its making or aging, the wine loses freshness and takes on a stale, old smell and taste. Such a wine is said to be oxidized.
peppery—A peppery quality to a wine is usually noticeable in many Rhône wines, which have an aroma of black pepper and a pungent flavor. It occasionally appears in some Bordeaux wines.
perfumed—This term is usually more applicable to fragrant, aromatic white wines than to red Bordeaux wines. However, some of the dry white wines and sweet white wines can have a strong, perfumed smell.
plummy—Rich, concentrated wines can often have the smell and taste of ripe plums. When they do, the term “plummy” is applicable.
ponderous—“Ponderous” is often used as a synonym for “massive,” but in my usage a massive wine is simply a big, rich, very concentrated wine with balance, whereas a ponderous wine is a wine that has become heavy and tiring to drink.
precocious—Wines that mature quickly—as well as those wines that may last and evolve gracefully over a long period of time, but taste as if they are aging quickly because of their tastiness and soft, early charms—are said to be precocious.
pruney—Wines produced from grapes that are overripe take on the character of prunes. Pruney wines are flawed wines.
raisiny—Late-harvest wines that are meant to be drunk at the end of a meal can often be slightly raisiny, which in some Ports and sherries is desirable. However, in dry Bordeaux wines a raisiny quality is a major flaw.
rich—Wines high in extract, flavor, and intensity of fruit are described as being rich.
ripe—A wine is ripe when its grapes have reached the optimum level of maturity. Less than fully mature grapes produce wines that are underripe, and overly mature grapes produce wines that are overripe.
round—A very desirable character of wines, roundness occurs in fully mature Bordeaux that have lost their youthful, astringent tannins and also in young Bordeaux that are low in tannin and acidity and are meant to be consumed young.
savory—A general descriptive term denoting that the wine is round, flavorful, and interesting to drink.
shallow—A weak, feeble, watery, or diluted wine lacking concentration is said to be shallow.
sharp—An undesirable trait; sharp wines are bitter and unpleasant with hard, pointed edges.
silky—A synonym for “velvety” or “lush”; silky wines are soft, sometimes fat, but never hard or angular.
smoky—Some wines, either because of the soil or because of the barrels used to age the wine, have a distinctive smoky character. In Bordeaux, some of the Graves wines are occasionally smoky.
soft—A soft wine is one that is round and fruity, low in acidity, and has an absence of aggressive, hard tannins.
spicy—Wines often smell quite spicy with aromas of pepper, cinnamon, and other well-known spices. These pungent aromas are usually lumped together and called spicy. Scents and flavors of Oriental spices refer to wines that have aromas and/or flavors of soy sauce, ginger, hoisin sauce, and sesame oil.
stale—Dull, heavy wines that are oxidized or lack balancing acidity for freshness are called stale.
stalky—A synonym for “vegetal,” but used more frequently to denote that the wine has probably had too much contact with the stems. The result is a green, vegetal, or stalky character to the wine.
supple—A supple wine is one that is soft, lush, velvety, and very attractively round and tasty. It is a highly desirable characteristic as it suggests that the wine is harmonious.
tannic—The tannins of a wine, which are extracted from the grape skins and stems, are, along with a wine’s acidity and alcohol, its lifeline. Tannins give a wine firmness and some roughness when young, but gradually fall away and dissipate. A tannic wine is one that is young and unready to drink.
tart—Sharp, acidic, lean, unripe wines are called tart. In general, a red Bordeaux that is tart is not pleasurable.
thick—Rich, ripe, concentrated wines that are low in acidity are often said to be thick.
thin—A synonym for “shallow,” a thin wine is an undesirable characteristic meaning that the wine is watery, lacking in body, and just diluted.
tightly knit—Young wines that have good acidity levels, good tannin levels, and are well made are called tightly knit, meaning they have yet to open up and develop.
toasty—A smell of grilled toast can often be found in wines because the barrels the wines are aged in are charred or toasted on the inside.
tobacco—Many red Graves wines have the scent of fresh burning tobacco. It is a distinctive and wonderful smell in wine.
unctuous—Rich, lush, intense wines with layers of concentrated, soft, velvety fruit are said to be unctuous. In particular, the sweet wines of Barsac and Sauternes are unctuous.
vegetal—An undesirable characteristic; wines that smell and taste vegetal are usually made from unripe grapes. In some wines a subtle vegetable garden smell is pleasant and adds complexity, but if it is the predominant characteristic, it is a major flaw.
velvety—A textural description and synonym for “lush” or “silky,” a velvety wine is a rich, soft, smooth wine to taste. It is a very desirable characteristic.
viscous—Viscous wines tend to be relatively concentrated, fat, almost thick wines with a great density of fruit extract, plenty of glycerine, and high alcohol content. If they have balancing acidity, they can be tremendously flavorful and exciting wines. If they lack acidity, they are often flabby and heavy.
volatile—A volatile wine is one that smells of vinegar as a result of an excessive amount of present acetic bacteria. It is a seriously flawed wine.
woody—When a wine is overly oaky it is often said to be woody. Oakiness in a wine’s bouquet and taste is good up to a point. Once past that point the wine is woody and its fruity qualities are masked by excessive oak aging.
