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Tim Gaiser, Master Sommelier

Tasting: the Evil Dwarves Part I

5/10/2015

10 Comments

 
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In blind tasting, there are two sets of grapes that consistently give students nightmares because each set is populated by grapes easily confused for one another. I call them the “Evil Dwarves.” The first set is made up of semi-aromatic white grapes and includes Albariño, Grüner Veltliner, Loire Chenin Blanc, Alsace Pinot Gris, Northern Italian Pinot Grigio, and dry Riesling from Alsace or Germany. The other set is comprised of thinner-skinner red grapes such as Pinot Noir, Gamay, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, and Grenache. In this post I’ll cover the white grapes and get to the red grapes in a future post.

On the surface one would think it wouldn’t be that difficult to tell the various grapes/wines apart. But stop for a moment and think about how similar the fruit qualities are for all the grapes within each set. Add to that the fact that within each set the colors of all the wines can be remarkably similar—if not the same. Thus if a student is keying off color and fruit trying to tell the grapes apart it will be an endless nightmare. 

There is good news in that practically all the grapes have a strong signature in terms of what could be called a “Prime Factor”—an objective factor such as botrytis, TDN or phenolic bitterness. Combine any of these prime factors with the fact that all the grapes have unique non-fruit and structural profiles (levels of acid, alcohol, and in the case of red wines tannins) and you have a blueprint to be able to tell classic examples of any of the grapes/wines apart. And that’s a very good thing. So without further ado, here’s a road map to help identify the Evil Dwarves and further, to help tell them apart from their bretheren. Onward!

Part I: Semi-Aromatic White Grapes

I. Albariño

Prime Factors: terpenes—pronounced floral qualities combined with sweet citrus notes.

Non-fruit: Pilsner/hemp/hops

Structure: medium alcohol and medium-plus (sometimes high) acidity

Why it’s not:

Grüner Veltliner: Albariño lacks the white pepper and vegetal qualities found in Grüner. Further, Smaragd Grüners will always be a much richer wine than Albariño combined with the pepper/vegetal qualities and possible botrytis notes.

Loire Chenin Blanc: Chenin often shows botrytis notes, a green olive/green herb character, and a pronounced chalky minerality. Structurally Chenin has medium-plus alcohol and high acidity. It also lacks the overt terpenic qualities of Albariño.

Alsace Pinot Gris: Albariño lacks the botrytis notes and phenolic bitterness found in Pinot Gris. Structurally Pinot Gris has higher alcohol and lower acidity—and often displays residual sugar.

Northern Italian Pinot Grigio:  Albariño and Alto Adige Pinot Grigio can be similar in weight and structure, but the Pinot Grigio lacks overt terpenic qualities and also shows less phenolic bitterness on the finish.

Riesling: the lack of TDN (petrol/fusel/kerosene notes) sets Albariño apart from Riesling. Alsace Riesling—especially Grand Cru quality—and German Grosses Gewächs Riesling tend to be much richer wines with elevated alcohol and yet higher acidity. Finally, the fruit profile in Riesling is also much broader than Albariño with botrytis notes sometimes found even if the wine is dry.

II. Grüner Veltliner

Prime factors: the pepper-vegetal qualities of Grüner—rotundone—make it unique in the white wine universe.  As mentioned above, with Smaragd Grüners the combination of pepper/vegetal and botrytis make them utterly singular. 

Non-fruit: it’s all about white pepper, lentils, radish, daikon, and more.

Structure: can range from medium to high alcohol with the acid fairly consistently around medium-plus.

Why it’s not:

Albariño: pepper/vegetal notes and lack of terpenes.

Loire Chenin Blanc: ditto and odds are the Chenin will be a richer wine with the pronounced chalky minerality and sulfur-like notes.

Alsace Pinot Gris: no rotundone in Pinot Gris. PG will also usually be a richer wine with lower acid, phenolic bitterness, residual sugar, and a good possibility of botrytis. 

Northern Italian Pinot Grigio: could be similar in weight and structure to some Grüners but again lack the pepper/vegetal qualities. Pinot Grigio will also have a trace of phenolic bitterness on the finish.

Riesling: it’s all about the pepper/vegetal qualities of Grüner vs. the TDN and possible botrytis notes of Riesling. The two are completely different universes.

III. Loire Chenin Blanc

Prime factor: possible botrytis notes and sulfur character

Non-fruit: green olive/green herb (chamomile) and pronounced chalky minerality

Structure: medium-plus alcohol and high acidity

Why it’s not:

Albariño: the terpenes set Albariño apart from Chenin and generally the latter is a richer wine showing herbal, chalky mineral, and sulfur notes.

Grüner Veltliner: Chenin completely lacks the rotundone character found in Grüner.

Alsace Pinot Gris: both can show botrytis notes but the Pinot Gris will display phenolic bitterness on the finish and have lower acidity.

Northern Italian Pinot Grigio: Loire Chenin will be a richer wine with much more non-fruit complexity as well as the chalky minerality and sulfur notes.

Riesling: although both can show botrytis notes Chenin lacks the TDN of Riesling.

IV. Alsace Pinot Gris

Prime factors: possible botrytis notes with phenolic bitterness and residual sugar on the finish.

Structure: elevated alcohol, lower acidity, and residual sugar.

Why it’s not:

Albariño: Albariño generally is a lighter wine with higher acidity; also lack of botrytis notes and lack of residual sugar on the finish. 

Grüner Veltliner: while it can match the weight and richness of a Smaragd Grüner, the Pinot Gris will completely lack the rotundone pepper qualities.

Loire Chenin Blanc: both grapes can show botrytis character but the Chenin will show the sulfur/herbal notes, chalky minerality, and have higher acidity—and phenolic bitterness.

Northern Italian Pinot Grigio: will be a much lighter wine than its cousin from Alsace. The Pinot Grigio will also lack any botrytis notes and residual sugar.

Riesling: Alsace Pinot Gris can easily match the weight and richness of Riesling from the same region as well as Riesling from Germany (or Austria). But Pinot Gris lacks the acidity and TDN qualities of Riesling and will also show phenolic bitterness on the finish.

V. Northern Italian Pinot Grigio

Prime factor: like Alsace Pinot Gris, Alto Adige Pinot Grigio consistently shows phenolic bitterness on the finish. Slight terpenes and lees contact are also common.

Non-fruit: floral and nut/peanut shell qualities.

Structure: tends to be fairly light-bodied with medium alcohol and medium-plus acidity.

Why it’s not:

Albariño: both grapes can be similar in weight and texture but Pinot Grigio is a more narrowly defined--almost neutral--grape/wine by comparison.  PG also lacks the overt terpenic qualities of Albariño.

Grüner Veltliner: Pinot Grigio lacks the pepper/vegetal qualities of Grüner.

Loire Chenin Blanc: Pinot Grigio is generally a lighter-bodied wine compared to Loire Chenin. Classic Pinot Grigio will also not show botrytis character and will offer less in the non-fruit category.

Alsace Pinot Gris: Alto Adige Pinot Grigio is a scaled down version of its Alsace cousin but with higher acidity and no residual sugar.

Riesling: Pinot Grigio lacks any TDN qualities found in Riesling not to mention possible botrytis character.  

VI. Riesling:

Prime factor: the presence of TDN, possible botrytis notes, and the wide range of fruit qualities are factors that help make Riesling unique and so versatile in the white wine world.

Structure: higher levels of acidity.

Why it’s not:

Albariño: TDN, more complexity, and higher acidity set Riesling apart from Albariño.

Grüner Veltliner: it’s all about the rotundone pepper/vegetal in Grüner vs. the TDN of Riesling.

Loire Chenin Blanc: although both can show botrytis notes, the chalky minerality and lack of TDN set Chenin apart from Riesling.

Alsace Pinot Gris: both can again show botrytis character but Riesling will display TDN, have higher acidity, and lack the pronounced phenolic bitterness.

Northern Italian Pinot Grigio: TDN, more complexity, and higher acidity will set Riesling apart from Pinot Grigio.

10 Comments
Garrin link
5/11/2015 11:58:11 am

This is really very helpful. I can't wait to read your tips for picking apart the evil red dwarves! I'm forwarding this to my friends...

Reply
Crystal link
5/22/2015 03:56:03 am

Very helpful, thank you!!

Reply
Christanna H
6/10/2015 03:23:12 am

This is fantastic! Our tasting group struggles endlessly with Albarino vs Pinot Grigio--as do many I'm sure. Looking forward to the reds!

Reply
GT
6/28/2015 05:09:30 am

Hi Tim,

A couple of questions-

-- What should I be looking for in Torrontes? Prime Factors, Fruit, Non-Fruit, etc. ?

--What markers should I be looking for to identify an off-dry Kabinett Riesling versus a Demi-Sec Vouvray ?

I am told that off-dry Kabinett Riesling, and Demi-Sec Vouvray are totally fair game on the Certified Exam.

btw, the other day I did a side by side tasting of a Pinot Gris versus Pinot Grigio, and I do see that Pinot Gris is spicier, richer and oilier. It is subtle, but definitely noticeable.

Thank you in advance!

Reply
Tim Gaiser
1/9/2016 08:51:05 am

GT, sorry I missed responding to your questions--your comments weren't forwarded to me. Please see below:

-- What should I be looking for in Torrontes? Prime Factors, Fruit, Non-Fruit, etc. ?+

Torrontes is intensely floral—terpenes—with phenolic bitterness. Also non-fruit notes of cilantro and pine are common with little minerality which sets it apart from other fully aromatic grapes.

--What markers should I be looking for to identify an off-dry Kabinett Riesling versus a Demi-Sec Vouvray ?

Riesling will probably show TDN and have far less alcohol than the Vouvray; both have high acidity but the Vouvray will probably be a richer wine with both inorganic and organic earthiness.

I am told that off-dry Kabinett Riesling, and Demi-Sec Vouvray are totally fair game on the Certified Exam.

Any of the grapes listed on the grids are fair game.

btw, the other day I did a side by side tasting of a Pinot Gris versus Pinot Grigio, and I do see that Pinot Gris is spicier, richer and oilier. It is subtle, but definitely noticeable.

True! Alsace Pinot Gris is practically always a richer wine than Alto Adige Pinot Grigio in terms of alcohol and richness—and even a bit of residual sugar. Alsace Pinot Gris often has botrytis character as well.

Apologies for the late response! Hope this helps.

Reply
Isak Broe
2/16/2016 01:08:29 pm

"Torrontes is intensely floral—terpenes—with phenolic bitterness. Also non-fruit notes of cilantro and pine are common with little minerality which sets it apart from other fully aromatic grapes."

I would add to this that torrontes will more often than not be structurally drier than gewurztraminer and (most) light, "dry" muscats.

Annelie
1/8/2016 02:22:58 pm

This is one of the most useful tasting comparisons I have found - thanks!

Reply
Tim Gaiser
1/9/2016 08:51:43 am

Annelie, thanks for reading and glad it helps!

Reply
Shawn
3/27/2017 08:45:26 pm

Hi Tim,

Can I have your view regarding Soave Garganega vs. Chablis or any other neutral white wine?

The problem is that I can't really get a sense of Soave. For me, it's a light, crispy, high acidity white wine perhaps with a hint of white flower and mineral. Nevertheless Chablis or some unoaked chardonnay from cooler region can provide similar profile as well. Some blind tasting friends said Garganega should have the smell of Elderflower but I am not so sure about that.

I appreciate if you can share your thoughts. Thanks a lot.

Reply
Tim Gaiser
3/28/2017 02:16:49 pm

Hi Shawn, thanks for your question and for reading. Several thoughts come to mind. First, it’s tough to nail down Soave/Garganega because there really isn’t a defined style for the wines. Best producers that come to mind are Inama, Pieropan, Anselmi, and Gini. That being said, although the fruit profiles for the two wines can be similar there are very different signatures for each wine as well as different structural elements. To point, Chablis is the only white with lees contact, malolactic, and high acidity. Soave/Garganega also shows lees contact but offers phenlic bitterness and usually a touch of oxidation thus darker color. The acidity in the average Soave is also not as high.

Suggest that you taste them side by side. If you have a Coravin by all means use it and taste the wines next to each other daily for a week or so.

Hope this helps!

Reply



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