Distinctiveness -
In The Wine Bible it is said that great Wine is known for being distinctive. Not because they are the same as other wines. Being able to blind taste the wine and know which one it is. Distinct by aroma, flavor, and texture.
Single grape varietals that “fully and precisely express” the grape are said to have “Varietal Character.”
A blend cannot demonstrate varietal character. But should still demonstrate its distinctiveness.
Balance -
Balance is when a wine has all of the major components in equilibrium.
- Acid
- Alcohol
- Fruit
- Tannin No one overpowering the other, in “harmonious tension.”
Closely related is integration. When it’s components and flavors have combined to make a unique character that is more than the sum of its parts.
Precision -
Having flavors that are precise, well defined, and expressive.
Complexity -
Compex wines have layers of aroma and flavors that reveal themselves one by one over time. As you think you’ve understood a flavor, new ones emerge showing you different sides of the wine. They almost pull you in to continue sipping on them. As you try to understand or follow along with what the flavor/aromas are doing.
Beyond Fruitness -
Great wines aren’t necessarily just fruity. They can be interlayed with flavors to give more depth to the wine’s impact. Make it more stimulating mentally Some examples of flavor notes: tar, bitter espresso, roasted meats, blood, etc.
Length -
How long the flavor of the wine lasts on your tongue. The longer the better.
Choreography -
The way the flavors of a wine move, both spatially and physically. Does the flavor start out strong, in your face, and gradually lessen until nothing. Does it do the opposite, start at nothing but then grow. The finest wines are multi-dimensional. They have show many sides of flavor, force, volume, and velocity.
Connectedness -
The sense of a place you get from the wine’s smell and flavor. It’s like a cultural identity that helps separate it from other wines and connect it to where it was made.
Ability to Evoke an Emotional Response -
The ability of a wine to make us feel.