• Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • The Feynman Technique
  • Food & Wine Pairing
  • Work With Tim
  • Contact
Tim Gaiser, Master Sommelier

Classic Grape Variety Markers: Red Grapes and Wines, Part I

6/26/2013

9 Comments

 
Picture
Last week I wrote two posts about my list of markers for classic white grapes and wines. This post is the first of two listing my markers for classic red grapes and wines. Cheers!

I. Cabernet Sauvignon

Left Bank Bordeaux Blend 


Sight: deep ruby.  
Nose: black fruits (berry, black cherry and cassis) with green olive, cedar, pencil lead, violet-floral, and green herbs. Wines from cooler vintages
can display more red fruit character as well as more pronounced pyrazine/herbal notes. Elements of clay, dried leaves, mushroom, and turned earth can also often be found. Leather and game are common in older wines. Oak aging adds smoke, toast, and sweet baking spice notes.  
Palate: medium-to-full bodied and bone dry to dry.  
Structure: alcohol: medium-plus to high in warm vintages; acidity: medium-plus; tannin: medium-plus to high.  
 
ID Keys: the combination of deep black fruits, green herbs, earth/forest floor, and bright acidity. 
 
New World: California

Sight: deep ruby.  
Nose: ripe, even jammy black fruits (berry, cherry, cassis and currant) with green olive, cedar, chocolate, and green herb notes. Cooler climate wines can display red fruit characteristics and more pyrazine and herbal notes. Oak aging adds smoke, toast, sweet baking spices, and sawdust notes. 
Palate: full bodied and dry.  
Structure: alcohol: medium-plus to high; acidity: medium to medium-plus; tannin: medium-plus to high.  
 
ID Keys: California/Napa Cabernets are generally much riper and richer in style than Bordeaux without the prominent earth/mineral component. 

New World: South Australia - Coonawarra

Sight: deep ruby.  
Nose: blackberry, black cherry and black currant fruit with pronounced mint/eucalyptus and green pyrazine notes.  Oak adds vanilla, baking spices, and toast.  
Palate: full bodied and dry.  
Structure: alcohol: medium-plus to high; acidity: medium to medium-plus; tannin: medium-plus to high.  
 
ID Keys: Coonawarra Cabernet is very distinctive with classic Cabernet black fruits but with a strong presence of pyrazines and mint and eucalyptus.
Picture
II. Pinot Noir

Burgundy: Côte de Nuits


Sight: light to medium ruby.
Nose: red fruits—cherry, raspberry, strawberry--with tea, floral, herb, and mushroom/earth. With age, the wines take on gamy-vegetal-earthy complexities difficult to describe. Oak aging adds smoke, vanilla, sweet spice, and wood notes to the wines. 
Palate: medium to medium-plus bodied and bone dry to dry.  
Structure: alcohol: medium to medium-plus; acidity: medium-plus; tannin: medium-minus to medium. 

ID Keys: although deceptively light in color, high quality wines can be quite concentrated in flavor. Lighter-bodied, supple, and elegant, with bright red fruits (not black!), tea-spice, earth, and oak. Some winemakers use stems during fermentation giving the wines a green woody quality on the nose and palate as well as firmer tannins.

Burgundy: Côte de Beaune

Sight: light to medium ruby.
Nose: tart or ripe red fruits depending on the quality of the vintage; cherry, raspberry, and cranberry are common. Non-fruit aromas include green herb, black tea, rose floral, and clay/earth/mineral notes. As with wines from the Cote de Nuits, age can add gamy—savory-vegetal-earthy complexities. Oak aging adds aromas of vanilla, baking spices, and toast. 
Palate: medium-bodied and bone dry to dry.  
Structure: alcohol: medium to medium-plus; acidity: medium-plus; tannin: medium to medium-plus. 
 
ID Keys: generally, wines from the Cote de Beaune tend to be relatively earthier and firmer in tannins than those from the Cote de Nuits.


New World: California and Oregon

Sight: medium to deep ruby.
Nose: ripe red fruits (black fruits in warm vintages or regions), herb, floral, tea, and more. Oak aging adds smoke, sweet spice, and wood flavors. 
Palate: medium to medium-plus bodied and dry.  
Structure: alcohol: medium to medium-plus (and getting higher all the time …); acidity: medium to medium-plus; tannin: medium to medium-plus.

ID Keys: supple red berry fruit, spices, and new wood. Stem tannins often present but a there a relative lack of earthiness when compared to Burgundy. 

New World: New Zealand

Sight: light to medium ruby.
Nose: red fruits—both fresh and dry--with considerable herb, floral, tea, and mineral/soil.  Oak aging adds smoke, sweet spice and woody flavors. 
Palate: medium to medium-plus bodied and dry.  
Structure: alcohol: medium to medium-plus; acidity: medium to medium-plus; tannin: medium to medium-plus.

ID Keys: New Zealand Pinots are similar in style to California and Oregon with supple red fruit, spices and new wood qualities. However, the wines are distinct with their pronounced herbal notes; many display a chalky mineral quality.
Picture
III. Merlot

Right Bank Bordeaux Blend


Sight: very deep ruby.
Nose: red and black fruits, green herb, mushroom-forest floor, violet floral, earth-mineral. Oak aging adds vanilla, sweet spice, and toast/smoke.
Palate: medium-plus to full-bodied; supple, rich and lush; bone dry to bone.  
Structure: alcohol: medium-plus to high in warmer vintages; acidity: medium to medium-plus; tannin: medium to medium-plus.  
 
ID Keys: Generally,Merlot-based right bank wines tend have softer tannins than their Cabernet-based left bank counterparts as well as more herbal/vegetal characteristics.

New World: California, Australia, and Chile 
 
Sight: very deep ruby.
Nose: ripe black fruits, green herb, bitter chocolate, and oak. Mint and eucalyptus sometimes found. 
Palate: full-bodied and usually richer and riper than right bank Bordeaux wines.   
Structure:  alcohol: medium-plus to high; acidity: medium to medium-plus; tannin: medium to medium-plus.  

ID Keys: generally, Merlot tends to be ripe and supple with lush fruit and herbal notes; riper, fuller-bodied wines display considerable alcohol with a relative lack of earthiness and considerable new oak. Tannins tend to be less angular than Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s important to note that Cabernet is often blended with Merlot to add structure.

IV. Cabernet Franc

France: Loire Valley Chinon or Bourgueil


Sight: medium to deep ruby.
Nose: tart red and black fruits (sour cheery, plum, raspberry, and cranberry) with a pronounced green pyrazinic tobacco-leafy herbal character and chalky minerality. Warmer vintages yield wines with more black fruit character. Oak usage varies from old wood to noticeable new barrique. 
Palate: medium to medium-plus bodied and very dry, sometimes austere in character.
Structure: alcohol: medium to medium-plus; acidity: medium-plus; tannins: medium to medium-plus.

ID Keys: similar in weight to many to lighter right Bank Bordeaux wines, but with a pronounced pyrazenic quality and chalky
minerality.

V. Gamay: Beaujolais Villages

Sight: medium to deep ruby with purple highlights.
Nose: candied, artificial fruit derived from carbonic fermentation with floral, green herb, and stony earth.  
Palate: medium-bodied and bone dry to bone. Emphasis on candied fruit, herb, and granitic soil
Structure: acidity: medium-plus; alcohol: medium  to medium-plus, tannin: medium-minus to medium. 

ID Keys: look for the candied fruit-basket quality with herbal and stony qualities.
9 Comments
Rick Bakas link
7/1/2013 07:31:55 am

These are great, Master Gaiser....thank you for posting!

Reply
anis
7/15/2013 03:14:23 am

Tim , i always had a curious question about what's the difference of aromas,bouquets of wines fermented or aged in,new California,french,Slovenian oak??
also wanted to know what is the benefits of whole cluster fermentation?and what other grapes besides pinot noir benefits from this type of fermentation?

Reply
glump
8/17/2013 09:54:03 pm

Another amazing post, thank you so much!

Reply
Greta Wise
8/27/2013 01:33:25 pm

I am going back and reading over the tasting notes you mentioned at the level 1 class in Dallas and I had a question regarding the Californian and Oregon Pinots. In my super limited experience I have noticed some differences between the two. Recent Oregon vintages have felt/ tasted different from their Californian counter parts. Any thoughts on that? Am I missing something?

Reply
Tim Gaiser
8/28/2013 07:33:06 am

Hi Greta, thanks for reading. Good question. For me personally OR Pinots tend to be a shade more herbal and earthier than their CA counterparts. They also tend to have a bit less alcohol and not be quite a rich--but there are always exceptions.

Reply
Greta Wise
8/30/2013 12:49:02 pm

Well it is good to know that I am not crazy. I have always gravitated more towards OR Pinots as they seem a little more old worldish to me. Californian Pinots seem to taste more like they are adding other varietals like syrah. Not that I am making any accusations... Thank you for the response.

Reply
Kaden link
2/9/2014 04:20:05 pm

i just wanna thank you for sharing your information and your site or blog this is simple but nice article I've ever seen i like it i learn something today...

Reply
Rita
6/3/2014 08:35:30 am

Hi Tim,

I noticed that you posted markers for Cab Franc from Loire Valley, but not from California. Are they almost the same? Thanks

Reply
Tim Gaiser
6/3/2014 09:19:54 am

Hi Rita, thanks for reading. Markers for CA Cab Franc would be similar but not quite as herbal/vegetal. If anything, CA Cab Franc runs very close to CA Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot in style because the climate is warm-almost too warm--for the grape to show classic style.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Tim Gaiser

    My thoughts on wine and more. I hope you enjoy.


    Get blog posts delivered by email. Enter your address:

     Subscribe in a reader


    Categories

    All
    All
    Books
    Dining
    Exam Preparation
    Food
    Food And Wine
    Other
    Recently Tasted
    Recently Tasting
    Recordings
    Restaurants
    Spirits
    Studies
    Tasting
    Tastings
    The Rest
    Wine
    Wine Events
    Wineries
    Wine Service
    Winesoftheworld
    Wines Of The World

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.