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Tasting Notes
Medium-bodied with crisp acidity and subtle tannins, there are aromas of red berries, fresh wild herbs, and white flowers, followed by subtle flavors of earth and spice, with a salty minerality in the long finish.
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
13%
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.
Salty, savory, and refreshing. What else do you need?
GRAPE VARIETAL(S)
Nerello Mascalese
100%Ne-RELL-o Mas-ca-LAY-zay
Nerello Mascalese is a grape indigenous to the slopes of Etna in north-east Sicily. The name Nerello is derived from Nero, meaning black, while Mascalese is a reference to Mascali, an area east of Etna and close to the coast. The wine is light in color and with fresh acidity, red-fruit flavor, gentle tannins which makes them attractive in their youth, but with enough structure to make them capable of ageing gracefully.
Red Berries
Fresh Wild Herbs
Salt
Organic
