L3 explaining key wines using given frameworks and themes Flashcards
Focus on key features
Trockenbeerenauslese (youthful)
Focus on the features from this framework:
Colour:
Intensity:
Body: Acidity: Aromas: Tannin: Alcohol: Intensity: Length: Sweetness:
(How similar would this be to a Sauternes, or an Ice Wine).
Colour: Gold
Intensity: Deep, achieved through concentration of fruit
Body: full, as a result of the sweetness
Acidity: high, achieved through cool climate ripening, concentration of acids by the noble rot, Riesling’s natural high acidity, and avoidance of malolactic fermentation.
Aromas: citrus and stonefruit reflecting the cool to moderate climate, honey marmalade and rye bread as a result of high degree of noble rot on harvested grapes.
Tannin:
Alcohol: typically 8-9% abv, as high sugar content can overwhelm the yeast.
Intensity: pronounced as a result of fruit concentration at harvest.
Length: long as a result of fruit concentration at harvest.
Sweetness: very sweet/lusciously sweet, achieved from concentration of sugars by the noble rot.
Possibly offer some elaboration on above to obtain full marks in an exam.
White Zinfandel (youthful)
Focus on the features from this framework:
Colour:
Intensity:
Body: Acidity: Aromas: Tannin: Alcohol: Intensity: Length: Sweetness:
Colour: pink/ rosé
Intensity: light to medium
Body:
Acidity:
Aromas: red fruit, as a result of using a red grape, Zinfandel. Use of steel tanks to preserve primary aromas.
Tannin: none, as there is only a very small amount of skin contact,
Alcohol: low to medium, as a result of an interrupted alcoholic fermentation,
Intensity:
Length:
Sweetness: medium sweet residual sugars, as a result of an interrupted alcoholic fermentation
Possibly offer some elaboration on above to obtain full marks in an exam.
Mosel Spätlese (youthful)
Focus on the features from this framework:
Colour:
Intensity:
Body: Acidity: Aromas: Tannin: Alcohol: Intensity: Length: Sweetness:
Colour:
Intensity:
Body: medium, fuller than Kabinett with relatively riper fruit/must weight.
Acidity: high, achieved through cool climate ripening, Riesling’s natural high acidity, and avoidance of malolactic fermentation.
Aromas: lime, citrus and stone fruit, as a result of a cool to moderate climate not creating very ripe flavours, avoidance of oak in winemaking, avoidance of lees stirring and/or maturation, and avoidance of malolactic fermentation.
Tannin:
Alcohol: 8-15% depending on winemaking choice to stop fermentation early.
Intensity:
Length:
Sweetness: can be dry to medium sweet, depending on wine makers choice to stop fermentation early.
Possibly offer some elaboration on above to obtain full marks in an exam.
Barossa Valley Shiraz (medium priced, and youthful)
Focus on the features from this framework:
Colour:
Intensity:
Body: Acidity: Aromas: Tannin: Alcohol: Intensity: Length: Sweetness:
Colour:
Intensity:
Body: full body owing to riper style of fruit, and high alcohol.
Acidity: medium acidity as a result of a warm sunny climate and fully ripe fruit by harvest time.
Aromas: black fruit and black pepper associated with Shiraz, often with vanilla aromas arising from use of new oak barrels.
Tannin:
Alcohol: medium plus to high alcohol as a result of a warm sunny climate creating riper bunches.
Intensity:
Length:
Sweetness:
Possibly offer some elaboration on above to obtain full marks in an exam.
Margaux AOP, Cru Bourgeoise (youthful)
Focus on the features from this framework:
Colour:
Intensity:
Body: Acidity: Aromas: Tannin: Alcohol: Intensity: Length: Sweetness:
Colour: ruby,
Intensity: deep associated with Cabernet Sauvignon’s thick skins
Body: full body as a result of Cabernet Sauvignon being the dominant grape, and its high tannins
Acidity: high acidity, associated with Cabernet Sauvignon typically being the main grape
Aromas: black fruit, mint, cedar and vanilla, associated with Cabernet Sauvignon and the use of oak barriques.
Tannin: high, as a result of Cabernet Sauvignon being the dominant grape,
Alcohol: medium to high depending on the vintage, typically medium as a moderate climate.
Intensity: pronounced, as a result of high quality concentrated fruit suggested by the Cru Bourgeoise status.
Length: long, as a result of high quality concentrated fruit suggested by the Cru Bourgeoise status.
Sweetness:
Possibly offer some elaboration on above to obtain full marks in an exam.
Sancerre (youthful)
Focus on the features from this framework:
Colour:
Intensity:
Body: Acidity: Aromas: Tannin: Alcohol: Intensity: Length: Sweetness:
Colour:
Intensity:
Body:
Acidity: high acidity as of being grown in a cool climate which helps retain acidity, and also avoiding malolactic fermentation which would soften the malic into lactic acidity.
Aromas: citrus, grass and asparagus flavours associated with Sauvignon Blanc and a cool climate, and also not using oak in the wine making, avoiding lees stirring or maturation, and avoiding malolactic fermentation which would create butter flavours.
Tannin:
Alcohol:
Intensity: pronounced, as this wine is associated with high quality grapes not having been diluted
Length: long, pronounced, as this wine is associated with high quality grapes not having been
Sweetness:
Possibly offer some elaboration on above to obtain full marks in an exam.
Chablis (youthful)
Focus on the features from this framework:
Colour:
Intensity:
Body: Acidity: Aromas: Tannin: Alcohol: Intensity: Length: Sweetness:
Body: Acidity: high acidity as of being grown in a cool climate which helps retain acidity, and also avoiding malolactic fermentation which would soften the malic into lactic acidity. Aromas: citrus and apple flavours associated with cool climate Chardonnay, and also not using oak in the wine making, avoiding lees stirring or maturation, and avoiding malolactic fermentation which would create butter flavours. Tannin: Alcohol: Intensity: Length: Sweetness:
Possibly offer some elaboration on above to obtain full marks in an exam.
Meursault (youthful)
Focus on the features from this framework:
Colour:
Intensity:
Body: Acidity: Aromas: Tannin: Alcohol: Intensity: Length: Sweetness:
Colour:
Intensity:
Body: medium to medium plus, owing to the use of malolactic fermentation and its resulting creamy texture,
Acidity: medium, owing to the use of malolactic fermentation and its resulting creamy texture, and also a moderate climate and so riper fruit.
Aromas: stone fruit, vanilla, bready, butter, as a result of using Chardonnay in a moderate climate, the use of oak in wine making, the use of lees stirring and/or maturation, and the encouragement of malolactic fermentation and its resulting utter flavours.
Tannin:
Alcohol:
Intensity: pronounced, as this appellation uses high quality fruit which is not dilute.
Length: long, as this appellation uses high quality fruit which is not dilute.
Sweetness:
Possibly offer some elaboration on above to obtain full marks in an exam.
Hermitage (red, youthful)
Focus on the features from this framework:
Colour:
Intensity:
Body: Acidity: Aromas: Tannin: Alcohol: Intensity: Length: Sweetness:
Colour: ruby
Intensity: deep, owing to high quality concentrated ripe Syrah associated with this appellation.
Body: full, as a result of high tannins associated with concentrated high quality Syrah associated with this appellation.
Acidity: medium plus to high, as a result of a moderate climate not over-ripe fruit,
Aromas: black fruit and black pepper associated with Syrah.
Tannin: high, as a result of high tannins associated with concentrated high quality Syrah associated with this appellation. Possibly softened by addition of white grapes, Roussane and Marsanne.
Alcohol: medium, as a result of growing in a moderate climate
Intensity: pronounced, as a result of concentrated high quality Syrah associated with this appellation.
Length: long, as a result of high tannins associated with concentrated high quality Syrah associated with this appellation.
Sweetness:
Possibly offer some elaboration on above to obtain full marks in an exam.
Gran Reserva Rioja (red – just released)
Focus on the features from this framework:
Colour:
Intensity:
Body: Acidity: Aromas: Tannin: Alcohol: Intensity: Length: Sweetness:
Colour: ruby turning to garnet as a result of 3 years maturation,
Intensity:
This question helps explore the diversity of Rioja, and so no single style prevails.
Body: Acidity: Aromas: depending on the blend and the type of oak, and maturation period: typically includes red fruit, vanilla, coconut (oak- US or French/new or old), coffee and chocolate (charred/toasted oak?), and leather and meaty aromas from maturation. Tannin: what’s the blend/ different grapes different characteristics. Alcohol: amount of Grenache? Intensity: quality of fruit? Length: quality of fruit? Sweetness:
Possibly offer some elaboration on above to obtain full marks in an exam.
Ribera del Duero (youthful)
Focus on the features from this framework:
Colour:
Intensity:
Body: Acidity: Aromas: Tannin: Alcohol: Intensity: Length: Sweetness:
Colour: ruby
Intensity: deep
Body: full, owing to concentrated ripe fruit and high tannins.
Acidity:
Aromas: dark red fruit as a result of concentrated ripe Tempranillo grown in a warm dry climate. Also vanilla associated with use of oak in the wine making.
Tannin: high, achieved by using the high quality concentrated fruit and extractive wine making techniques
Alcohol:
Intensity: pronounced, as a result of the concentrated ripe Tempranillo. The fruit is concentrated due to vines growing in a dry climate.
Concentrated fruit is balanced by fresh acidity due to the wide diurnal range (warm sunny day and cold night).
Length: long, as a result of the concentrated ripe Tempranillo
Sweetness:
Possibly offer some elaboration on above to obtain full marks in an exam.
Beaujolais Nouveau
Focus on the features from this framework:
Colour:
Intensity:
Body: Acidity: Aromas: Tannin: Alcohol: Intensity: Length: Sweetness:
Body: light to medium due to low tannin Acidity: Aromas: Kirsh, banana, bubblegum and fresh fruit associated with intracellular carbonic maceration Tannin: low tannin due to carbonic maceration- and drawing/taking wine off the skins when grapes break up. Alcohol: Intensity: Length: Sweetness:
Amarone (youthful)
Focus on the features from this framework:
Colour:
Intensity:
Body: Acidity: Aromas: Tannin: Alcohol: Intensity: Length: Sweetness:
Colour:
Intensity: deep colour as a result of highly extractive wine making approach
Body: full body as a result of highly extractive wine making approach, using passito method which involves drying the grapes indoors which concentrates the grapes, resulting in high tannin, high alcohol of 15-16%abv, and residual sweetness after fermentation has completed
Acidity:
Aromas: baked fruit, dark red fruit, coffee and chocolate
Tannin: (see above)
Alcohol: (see above)
Intensity: pronounced due to passito method creating concentrated fruit
Length: long due to passito method creating concentrated fruit
Sweetness: (see above)
Possibly offer some elaboration on above to obtain full marks in an exam.
Barolo (youthful)
Focus on the features from this framework:
Colour:
Intensity:
Body: Acidity: Aromas: Tannin: Alcohol: Intensity: Length: Sweetness:
Colour:
Intensity:
Body: full body mostly as a result of high tannins associated with the Nebbiolo grape
Acidity: high acidity associated with the Nebbiolo grape
Aromas: bitter cherries, leather, roses and tar, associated with the Nebbiolo grape
Tannin: high tannin associated with the Nebbiolo grape
Alcohol:
Intensity: pronounced intensity, as a result of Barolo being a typically high quality wine made from low yielding concentrated fruit
Length: long length, as a result of Barolo being a typically high quality wine made from low yielding concentrated fruit
Sweetness:
Possibly offer some elaboration on above to obtain full marks in an exam.
Note modern vs traditionalist debate and winemaking practices.
Brunello di Montalcino (youthful)
Focus on the features from this framework:
Colour:
Intensity:
Body: Acidity: Aromas: Tannin: Alcohol: Intensity: Length: Sweetness:
Colour:
Intensity:
Body: Medium plus to full body, as a result of high tannins and concentrated high quality fruit.
Acidity: high acidity associated with Sangiovese
Aromas: red fruit associated with Sangiovese, and vanilla and nuts as a result of oak barrel ageing. Leather and meaty aromas from 5 years maturation. Tannin: high tannin associated with Sangiovese
Alcohol:
Intensity: pronounced, as this wine is made with low yielding vines with good aspects and well drained soil.
Length: long, as this wine is made with low yielding vines with good aspects and well drained soil.
Sweetness:
Possibly offer some elaboration on above to obtain full marks in an exam.