Body is the impression of a wines weight, density, or its ‘mouth-feel’. Some wines feel weighty, or full bodied, while others feel light bodied. Wine runs the gamut from light to full, with most falling somewhere in between.
TANNIN
Low
Subtle
Balanced
Pronounced
High
Tannin can range greatly in wine, but it is necessary to some degree, and a necessary constituent for red wines to age well. In high amounts, it can cause a drying affect, which is sensed mostly on the gums and tongue. Tannin is a natural preservative extracted from grape skins, otherwise known as polyphenols that are micronutrients and antioxidants with potential health benefits.
ACIDITY
Soft
Subtle
Balanced
Pronounced
High
Acidity is a foundational component in wine. In fact, low acidity, or ‘flabby’ wine (as the term suggests) is a negative. You can sense acidity mainly on the sides of your tongue. Acidity generally ranges from balanced to high. Crisp acidity adds freshness, making your mouth water. Acidity is a necessary element and helps to balance other components.
SWEETNESS
Dry
Off Dry
Medium Dry
Medium Sweet
Very Sweet
Most wines are characterized as dry to off-dry, but there are some grape varietals, like Riesling, that run the gamut from dry to sweet. The tip of the tongue mainly detects sweetness, which is why it is often the primary characteristic detected. Sweetness is derived from residual sugar that did not ferment into alcohol.
An unctuous wine with sweet fruit that is not just a fruit bomb, there are layers of depth and complexity here.
GRAPE VARIETAL(S)
Cabernet Sauvignon
96%Ca-ber-NAY So-vee-NYON
Cabernet Sauvignon origins are from the Gironde in southwest France, but is now planted across the world in climates that accommodate this late ripening grape. It is the dominant grape in wines made in Bordeaux’s Médoc and Graves regions. This small, thick-skinned grape, produces darkly colored wine, high in tannin and relatively high in acidity with hallmark aromas of blackcurrant and can stylistically change from austere in its youth to lush depending on the region, and winemaking style.
Merlot
4%Mer-LO
It would be easier to detail where Merlot is not grown than vice-versa, as it is one of the most widely planted grapes in the world. Depending on the terroir, the style can vary quite a bit. Generally, Merlot is fleshy and more fruit driven and with less aggressive tannins than its oft more austere blending partner, Cabernet Sauvignon, which also makes it more accessible in its youth. The quality and character can vary from crowd pleasing sweet plummy fruit to extraordinary complex velvety texture of a great right bank Bordeaux.
The Beckmen family started their namesake winery in 1994 after Tom Beckmen’s entrepreneurial success in the keyboard and synthesizer business. While a different project, the Beckmen estate was a vision of matching grapes with terroir. And, it was a success.
Beckmen vineyards organically grow their grapes on two estate vineyards with distinct terroir differences. The Judith Beckmen vineyard in Los Olivos is mostly well draining gravel and is a bit warmer than their Purisima Mountain vineyard, which is higher in elevation (1150 ft), cooler, with multiple exposures and a limestone subsoil, which is more suitable for syrah and other grape Rhône grape varietals.
At Beckmen, they hand pick grapes at night when the grapes are coolest and have the purest flavor. The wines are vinified in small lots before blending in order to take advantage of the characteristics of particular microclimates. The resulting wine, especially the syrah, is intense, but also with great energy, and nuanced layers of flavor.
Blackberry Jam
Smoke
Chocolate
