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.
ALCOHOL
15%
Alcohol is the by-product of fermentation. Differing grape varieties have differing potential alcohol levels, but regardless warmer areas result in riper grapes resulting in higher alcohol. Alcohol level is an objective number, but its affect on its palate impression is largely determined with how well integrated and balanced it is with other components.
Showy, easy drinking Côtes du Rhône at an affordable price.
GRAPE VARIETAL(S)
Syrah
50%See-RA
Syrah is widely planted throughout the world, but that was not so until the late twentieth century when Syrah was principally grown in the Rhone Valley and, as Shiraz, in Australia. Stylistically, the Palate Character of Syrah can vary depending on ripeness from a rich Round & Fleshy, Tone & Backbone, to a Powerful & Extracted. The flavors and aromas can also vary with a dark, sometimes sweet, fruit character, varying amount of spice, floral, and earth, and smoke, and meaty aromas and flavors.
Grenache
40%Gruh-NASH
Grenache is widely planted throughout the world but some of the best expressions come from the southern Rhone, and in Spain’s Priorat. Grenache has small berries with thick grape skins resulting in dark, tannic wine in its youth combined with an almost ripe sweetness and elevated alcohol. Often part of a blend, Grenache offers a lot of fruit, spice, with floral and herbal notes.
Mourvèdre
10%Moor-VED-ruh
Mourvedre is widely grown in Spain, and in France, where it makes up at least 50% of Bandol, and is typically one of the main blended varietals in Chateauneuf du Pape. It is high quality and strives in hot temperatures. The grapes are dark, and tannic with ample alcohol and intense aromas, particularly of blackberries. It is valued for its heady, structured contribution to blends.
Guigal, now one of the largest and most respected estates in the Rhône, was founded with humble beginnings by Etienne Guigal in 1946.
At 14-years-old, Etienne began working in one of the Rhône Valley’s largest vineyard’s pruning vines. Over the course of 15 years, he became cellar master before venturing out on his own. In 1961, his son Marcel took the reins and the winery now in its third generation is a standard bearer, especially for Côte-Rôtie, with steep terraced vineyards that surround the estate.
The wines of Guigal are a testament to entrepreneurship and vision. Across the board they exhibit high quality, with the single-vineyard Côte-Rôties of often ethereal character. For an estate this size to achieve such success is a testament to the detail-oriented work done in the vineyard and the painstaking attention in the winery.
Blackberry Jam
Black Pepper
Chocolate
