Classic Whites Flashcards
Albariño
Main flavored: Ripe citrus can include orange, Myers lemon, ruby red grapefruit. Stone fruit including white peach, peach pit, apricot, nectarine.
Green apple and melons
Other characteristic white and yellow flowers citrus and apple blossoms. Bubblegum agave Celine and possible ML
Chardonnay
Fruits: Tart to just ripe fruit trees including - Green apple yellow apple green pair, citrus lemon.
Sulphuric notes: Flint or slight cabbage
Oxidative notes: hazelnut almond cheese rind
Floral: faint white flour, apple blossoms, Hawthorne, acacia.
Earth: hi mentor Audi, stony, chalk, Celine/Seaspray, Oystershell’s, button mushroom
Chenin Blanc
Fruit: tree fruit- green golden or oxidized apples, quince, yellow pear
Oxidative note: bruised rotten apple, cider, better not, almond, Distasio, cheese rind soft cheese.
Floral: honeysuckle, Jasmine, white flowers
Herbal: chamomile, medicine all notes, dandelion greens, savory herbs, tree bark
Botrytis: honey, saffron, ginger, marmalade
Other: wet wool, lanolin
Earth: moderate plus the high morale Eddie, damp straw, schist, Wet stone, white mushroom
OAk: none or neutral cask
Grüner Veltliner
Fruit: citrus including grapefruit, lemon, lime, orange. Ripe stone fruit including peach, apricot, yellow cherry white plum. Red and yellow Apple, slightly dried and or tropical fruit characters
Floral: white flowers
Spice: white pepper, wasabi, radish, lentils
Green/herbal: slight chive, tarragon, sage
Botrytis: slight ginger, honey, saffron
Earth: moderate to high mentor Audi, stony, granite
Other: Leedy, smoke
Oak: none or neutral large cask
Gereürztraminer
Fruit: tropical fruits including lychee, pineapple, tropical fruit punch. Ripe stone fruit including peach jam, dried apricot. Citrus including orange marmalade and grapefruit pith
Floral: roses, floral perfume
Spice: cinnamon, cloves, gingerbread, mask, potpourri, exotic spices
Earth: moderate to moderate plus mineralality
Oak: none or neutral
Pinot Gris
Fruit: Stone Fruit (Apricot, Yellow Peach), Candied Citrus (Meyer Lemon, Orange), Ripe Tree Fruit (Baked Apple, Quince), Tropical Notes (Pineapple), Banana/Banana Peel
Floral: Faint White Flowers, Apple Blossoms, Honeysuckle
Cinnamon
Oak: Large Neutral Oak Casks
Structure: Dry to Medium Dry, Moderate Plus Body, Moderate Acidity, Moderate to Elevated Alcohol, Phenolic Bitterness
Pinot Grigio / Gris
Floral: Faint White Flowers, Apple Blossoms, Honeysuckle
Spice: Exotic Spices, Musk, Cinnamon
Botrytis: Honey, Ginger
Other: Beeswax, Damp Cellar, Nutty, Bitter Almond
Earth: Moderate to High Minerality, Mushroom/Forest Floor
Oak: Large Neutral Oak Casks
Structure: Dry to Medium Dry, Moderate Plus Body, Moderate Acidity, Moderate to Elevated Alcohol, Phenolic Bitterness
Typical Descriptors and Structure for Italian Pinot Grigio
(basic commercial examples)
Visual: Pale Straw with Hints of Green (possibly with slight copper and pink tones), Moderate Concentration
Aromas/Flavors: Moderate Intensity
Fruit: Citrus (Lemon), Tree Fruit (Red and Yellow Apple), Creamy Stone Fruit (White Peach, Nectarine), Melon
Floral: White and Yellow Flowers
Herbal: Watercress/Arugula
Other: Peanut Shell, Lager Yeast/Stale Beer
Earth: Moderate to Moderate Plus Minerality, Stone/Chalk, Ashen Notes, Saline
Oak: None
Structure: Dry, Moderate Body, Elevated Acidity, Moderate Alcohol, Slight Phenolic Bitterness
Riesling - Mosel
Visual- brilliant, watery white with hints of green
Aromas/flavors- fruit: tart tree fruits including green apple, Bosc pair and quince,. Citrus/citrus peel (Lemon, lime, grapefruit) Stone fruit(White peach, white plum, nectarine)
Sulphuric notes in youth
Flowers: white flowers, Jasmine, fruit tree blossoms
Other: flight smoke, candlewax, slight petrol
Earth: high minerality, slate, Crushed rock
Oak: none or large neutral cask
Structure: off dry to medium dry, Lightbody, high acidity, low alcohol
Riesling - rheungau
Visual: Starbright, straw with hints of pale gold and green
Aromas/flavors: ripe tree fruits (yellow Apple, pair, quince) fresh citrus/citrus peel (Great fruit, orange, Meyer lemon) Stone fruits (nectarine, white peach, apricot, cherry) melon
Floral: white flowers, wildflowers, honeysuckle, Jasmine, fruit tree blossom
Botryis: Ginger, honey, saffron
Green character: lemongrass
Other: slight smoke, candlewax, slight petrol
Earth: high minerality, granite, slate, crushed rock
Oak: nine or large neutral cask
Structure: medium drive to medium sweet, moderate minus body, high Acidity, low alcohol
Riesling - Alsace
Visual: yellow/gold with hints of green
Aroma/flavors: right and cook tree fruit(yellow Apple, bakes pair, quince) Citrus (Lemon, citronella, grapefruit) Stone fruit(yellow peach, stewed apricot) tropical fruit (pineapple) Banana/banana peel
Sulphuric note in youth
Floral: white flowers, honeysuckle, jasmine
Botrytis: Ginger, honey, saffron
Spice: Cardamom, anise, fennel
Other: smoke, candle wax, slight petrol
Earth: high minerality, White mushroom
OAk: none or large neutral cask
Structure: dry, moderate to moderate plus intensity high acidity moderate to elevated alcohol
Sauvignon Blanc Sancerre
Color pale straw with hints of green
Aromas/flavors: tart citrus (grapefruit, lemon, lime) tart tree fruit (green apple, green pear) gooseberry, under-ripe stone fruit(white peach), slight tropical fruit (kiwi, passion fruit)
Floral: faint white flower, citrus blossom
Green: cut grass, green bell pepper, black current buds, box tree, nettles, tarragon
Earth: high minerality, wet stone, chalk, crushed rocks
Oak: none or neutral cask
Structure: dry, moderate body, high acidity, moderate to moderate plus alcohol
Sauvignon Blanc
Marlborough
Color: pale straw with hints of green
Aromas/Flavors: citrus(grapefruit, lemon, lime) melon, gooseberry, tropical fruit(passion fruit, guava, pineapple)
Floral: faint white flower, citrus blossom
Green: cut grass, asparagus, canned pea, green bell pepper, jalapeño, blackcurrant bud, rhubarb
Earth: Low to moderate minerality, wet sand, chalk
Oak: none
Sauvignon Blanc
Bordeaux
Visual: yellow/pale gold with hints of green
Aroma/flavors: citrus including grapefruit and lemon, tropical fruits including pineapple and passionfruit, tree fruits including green fig green and yellow apple, melon, stone fruits including nectarine, peach and apricot
Floral: honeysuckle, faint white flowers
Green: cut grass,celery seed, celery
Earth: gravel, wet stones
Other: beeswax, lanolin, cream soda, sunflower seeds
Oak: moderate to high use 50% used at new French oak vanilla toast
Structure: dry, moderate to moderate plus body, moderate plus the Hyatt city, moderate to moderate plus alcohol
Torrontés - Salta
Visual: yellow with hints of green
Aroma/flavors:
Synthetic great, tropical fruits including pineapple, guava, papaya, right citrus including orange and Myers lemon, ripe stone fruit including peach, melon
Floral: highly floral/perfumed, orange blossoms, roses, Jasmine, geraniums
Other: hand lotion/Sophie, potpourri, slight musk spice
Earth: low to moderate minerality
Oak: none
Structure: dry, moderate plus body, moderate to elevated acidity, elevated alcohol, possible phenolic bitterness
Viognier - condrieu
Visual: yellow/pale gold color
Aroma/flavors: ripe/lush stone fruit including apricot, peach, peach pit. Ripe citrus including mandarin orange, ruby red grapefruit. Tropical fruit including mango common persimmon. Fruit cocktail
Floral: honeysuckle, Jasmine, orange blossoms, Rose
Spice: cinnamon, mask, potpourri, candied citrus peel, Anise, gingerbread
Malolactic fermentation not always present: crème fraîche, yogurt, butter
Earth: moderate to moderate plus minerality, Stone/granite
Oak: nine, neutral out or low to moderate approximately 30% use of new French oak
Structure: dry but may have slight residual sugar, moderate plus the full-bodied, diminished a moderate acidity, elevated alcohol, phenolic bitterness
