| Acid |
an acid taste is essential for the 'bite' of a wine but the degree varies from wine to wine and between the same wine at different stages of maturity. The acid you do not want is acetic acid which is vinegar (vin aigre = sour wine) |
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| Bite |
la refinement of acid, acknowledging the tannic acid of which too much is undesirable |
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| Clean |
no faults, straightforward flavour |
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| Cloying |
hangs around in the mouth |
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| Delicate |
devoid of coarseness, light in flavour |
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| Depth |
the tastes of the wine are discernible but still they are thoroughly blended |
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| Finish |
the taste does not fade into lesser flavours; personality remains right to the end |
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| Full-bodied |
a small sip fills the mouth with flavour; shows wine is at optimum maturity |
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| Green |
still too young |
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| Harsh |
undesirable character of wood tannin |
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| Heavy |
fuller than full-bodied |
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| Length |
the flavours that remain after swallowing; usually the longer they remain, the better the wine |
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| Light |
light in body and in alcohol |
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| Luscious |
sweet, creamy, soft, rich and fruity |
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| Medium |
can be medium dry or medium sweet quality |
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| Mellifluous |
smooth flowing, rich in flavour, almost honey-sweet |
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| Oaky |
slightly sweet vanilla flavour resulting from the wine maturing in oak casks |
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| Rich |
not necessarily sweet but splendid |
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| Robust |
a good honest mouthful, strong in alcohol |
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| Silky |
very smooth on the palate |
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| Soft |
usually applied to red wines, lovely balance of blending and maturity |
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| Tannin |
acid derived from grape skins, pips and stalks; the mouth is inclined to screw up if there is too much of it but tannin is essential in young red wins if they are to age well |
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| Tart |
bitter, acid taste |
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| Unctuous |
softly winning; it grows on you |
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| Vinosity |
vinous strength of a wine as it relates to its grape |
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| Well-balanced |
has all the desirable constituents in agreeable proportions |
