Grapes Flashcards
Corivina
Structure:
Light - Medium Body
Low Tannin
Medium + Acid
Notes:
Sour cherry, almond, cinnamon, chocolate and green peppercorn
Veneto Italy
Blended with Rondinella and Molinara
Valpolicella, Ripasso, Amarone, Recioto
Gamay
Thin skinned light ruby colour
High Acid
Low tannin (stem inclusion)
Medium Alcohol
High quality sees some oak treatment but not new oak.
Drink young
Notes:
Red fruit, cherries, currants, cranberry, violets and black pepper
Best examples Beaujolais France
Nebbiolo (the fog)
Thin skinned. Often oxidation leaving a brown or orange rim.
High High High
Can age very well
Notes:
Red currant, cherries, lots of none fruit: rose, leather, tobacco, olive, mushroom, tar, anise, truffles
Piedmont north Italy - Barolo, Barbaresco
Sangiovese
Thin skinned
High acid
Medium + to high tannin
Notes:
Cherries, red currants, cranberry, tomato leaf, olive, tea leaves, earth, leather, violets
More earth than fruit driven
Chianti and Brunello in Tuscany
can see oak
Merlot
Thick skin
Medium Tannins and Medium Acid
Notes:
Black fruit, plum, blackberry, mint
Oak
Blended with Cab Sauv think Bordeaux
Sweetness in warm climates
Pinot Noir
Thin skinned
High Acid Medium Tannins
Notes:
Strawberry, cherry, earth notes
Stand alone except in champagne
Shows TERROIR in best examples
Can have French oak
Like cool climate
Grenache
Thin skinned
Medium to medium plus acid and tannin
Medium plus alcohol
Tends towards oxidation
Notes:
Stewed strawberries, dried herbs, leather, cooked plum, spices, clay pot
Australia - Barossa
France - CNDP
Spain - Priorat
Spain - Rioja
Warm climate
Zinfandel/Primativo
Thick skin
Uneven ripening
Medium to medium plus acid
Medium tannins
High alcohol
Full body
California- dry creek valley and Lodi
Cabernet Sauvignon
Thick skinned
Late ripening
Medium plus to high tannin
Medium acid
Medium plus to high alcohol
Medium plus to full body
France - Bordeaux
California - Napa Valley
Chile - Central Valleys
Australia- Coonawarra
Notes:
Graphite, cedar, black currant, black cherry, pyrazines mint, bell pepper, sage
Syrah
Thick skinned purple grape
Medium plus tannin
Medium to medium plus acid
Medium plus to high alcohol
Medium plus to full body
Notes:
Blueberry, plum, tobacco, pepper, dried herbs, sage, eucalyptus
Australia - Barossa
France - hermitage (Rhône)
Malbec
Originally from Cahors France, famous in Argentina
Thrives in a warmer climate
Thick skinned purple grape
Medium plus tannin
Medium to medium plus acid
Medium plus to high alcohol (warm climate)
Medium plus to full body
Notes:
Bold fruit, smooth chocolatey finish, blackberry, sweet tobacco, cocoa, sugared plum, baking spices (oak)
France - Cahors
Argentina - Mendoza
Tempranillo
Early ripening “temprano”
More purple and inky when grown in warmer climates
Often sees new oak
Clones - Iberian peninsula
Medium plus tannin
Medium to medium plus acid
Alcohol high (warm climate)
Full body (high alcohol)
Notes:
Cherry, dried fig, cedar, tobacco, dill, roasted tomato, Parmesan cheese
Spain - rioja and Ribera del duero
Sauvignon Blanc
High aromatic intensity
Pyrazines: bell pepper, grass, mint, peas
Thiols: gooseberry, grapefruit, passionfruit, blackcurrant
High acid,
Medium to medium plus alcohol
Light to medium body
Bordeaux blended with semillion and oaked
NZ lean and crisp
Chenin Blanc
Dry to sweet styles
Can show botrytis
Vouvray, loire valley, Anjou and Touraine
Acid high
Medium minus to high
Light to full
Notes:
Quince, yellow apple, pear, honey
Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio
Pinot Gris references Alsatian style fruited and more floral. May show botrytis
Pinot Grigio lighter, crisp, citrus, mineral driven style northern Italy. Shows less contact
Dry to sweet
Medium to medium plus
Acid, alcohol and body
Chardonnay
Burgundy and Chablis are benchmarks
Very malleable
Medium plus to high acid
Med plus alcohol
Med plus to full body
Notes:
Yellow Apple, butter, chalk, pineapple
Riesling
High aromatic intensity very floral
Esters: apple, white floral, banana, raspberry
Terpenes: rose, lychee, lavender, orange oil
TDN : petrol
Can botrytis
High acid!
Low to medium alcohol
Light to medium body
Normally has some RS
Germany - mosel
France - Alsace
South Australia - Clare valley, Adelaide hills
Gewurztraminer
Esters: Apple, white florals, banana, raspberry
Terpenes: Rose, lychee, lavender, orange oil
Phenolic bitterness
High aromatic intensity
Can show botrytis
Medium acid
Medium to medium plus alcohol
Medium to medium plus body
Tannin low
Melon de Bourgogne
Very neutral grape
Lees contact is key feature
Minerality think seashell
Lime, pear green apple
Bone dry
Acid high
Med - to med plus alcohol and body
Gruner Veltliner
Thiols: grapefruit, gooseberry, passionfruit
Rotundone: peppercorn, basil, marjoram, oregano, thyme, rosemary
Austria
Botrytis reserve and smaragd style
Can reach elevated alcohol
Med plus acid
Medium to medium plus alcohol
Medium to medium plus body
Phenolic bitterness (7 whites)
Certain fennel can add bitterness to white wines mostly comes from skins and seeds
Viogner
Marsanne
Torrontes
Gewurztraminer
Albariño
Pinot Gris/grigio
Gruner Veltliner
Torrontes
Notes:
Peach, apricot, rose, lilac and lemon zest
Rarely sees oak
Fresher in high altitudes
Drink young
Medium plus acid, alcohol
Medium to medium plus body
Argentina!
