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.
ACIDITY
Low
Moderate
Balanced
Crisp
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
14%
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.
Marsanne is principally a Rhone varietal (can also be found in the U.S. and Australia) that makes full-bodied wines with moderate acidity. However, it is often blended with Roussanne and Viognier, especially in the Northern Rhone, to make rich wines with floral aromatics.
Roussanne
50%Roo-SAN
Rousanne is a high quality, aromatic, white Rhone varietal often blended with Marsanne in Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, and St. Joseph. Rousanne is more aromatic than Marsanne, often with a refreshing floral, and slightly herbal perfume, and has higher acidity that provides it better ability to age gracefully.
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.
Peach
Perfume
Mineral
