Module 4 Flashcards
Chardonnay
Chablis 1er Cru
Sight - pale to medium straw with green highlights; very bright
Nose - tart green apple, lemon-citrus, and pronounced chalky seashell minerality; new oak used by some producers to impart slice and wood aromas.
Palate - medium-bodied with flavours of tart apple, lemon peel, and chalky mineral; intensity of flavour and quality varies with producer and the specific appellation.
Structure - medium alcohol, medium-plus to high acidity, and dry to bone dry.
ID Keys - tart fruit, pronounces chalky minerality, and tart acidity are all keys; be aware of lees contact and partial malolactic fermentation as well.
Chardonnay
New Worls
Nose -
Cool climate wines: tart malic green apple/pear, tropical fruit, and pronounced citrus flavours. Lean and racy on the palate.
Warm climate wines: ripe (even baked) apple/pear and peach fruit; floral, lemon/lime citrus, buttery notes from malolactic fermentation/conversion.
Both: barrel-fermentation and lees contact impart flavours of cream and yeast. Oak aging imparts flavours of vanilla, baking spices and wood.
Palate - ripe orchard fruits with tart citrus, lees contact and ML notes, and oak.
Structure - dry to off-dry to slightly sweet in style; medium-plus to high alcohol with medium to medium-plus acidity.
ID Keys - the winemaking trio of lees contact, malolactic notes, and new oak make New World Chardonnay relatively easy to identify.
Sauvignon Blanc
Sancerre/Pouilly-Fume
Sight - pale to medium straw with green highlights
Nose - grapefruit-lemon/lime citrus notes with pronounced herbal-grass notes and chalky minerality.
Palate - light to medium-bodied and dry to bone dry. Use of little or no wood is typical for Sancerre while use of partial or all new wood can be found in Pouilly-Fume.
Structure - medium to medium-plus alcohol and medium-plus to high acidity.
ID Keys - the combo of tart citrus, herbal notes and chalky minerality with the minerality often taking centre stage. Look for oak in Pouilly-Fume but not in Sancerre.
Sauvignon Blanc
New Zealand
Sight - very pale straw with green and silver highlights.
Nose - intense grapefruit and lime citrus, gooseberry, grass, and green herb. Tropical notes. Most wines are overtly herbal and vegetal, some extremely so.
Palate - light to medium-bodied with emphasis on mouthwatering, juicy citrus fruit. Dry, tart and racy with very crisp acidity. No oak.
Structure - medium-plus acidity and alcohol are typical.
ID Keys - intense, pungent citrus and vegetal flavours are the keys to recognizing NZ Sauvignon Blanc.
Chenin Blanc
Loire Valley
Sight - pale to medium straw, very bright
Nose - ripe yellow apple, quince, lemon lime citrus, floral, spring greens, herb, pronounced mineral/wet stone. Botrytis notes and SO2 also commonly found; used wood or no wood.
Palate - bone dry to medium sweet depending on the style.
Structure - generally, the wines display medium-plus alcohol and medium-plus to high acidity.
ID Keys - ripe orchard fruits, elevated acidity, and botrytis notes.
Chenin Blanc
California
Washington
Sight - pale to medium straw and very bright
Nose - a cornucopia of fruit: ripe melon, pear, and tropical fruit with tart and sweet citrus notes. Little, if any, minerality and no oak.
Palate - off-dry to slightly sweet. Quality wines have a good balance of ripe, almost sweet fruit and crisp acidity.
Structure - medium-bodied, medium-plus acidity, medium alcohol.
ID Keys - generally a fruity, off dry quaffing wine.
Gewurztraminer
Alsace
Sight - deep straw to pale yellow
Nose - exotic, highly perfumed nose of ripe stone fruits, lychee, sweet citrus, pronounced floral (rose petal and jasmine), and earth mineral. Wood rarely used.
Palate - medium-plus to full-bodied. The palate is rich, viscous and sometimes oily with the hallmark touch of phenolic bitterness on the finish. Many wines have more than a touch of residual sugar even to the point of being slightly sweet.
Structure - medium-plus to high alcohol and medium-minus to medium acidity.
ID Keys - unmistakably flamboyant with its exotically perfumes nose, succulent off-dry fruit, oily texture, bitter finish and lack of acidity.
Albariño
Spain
Rias Biaxas
Sight - pale to medium sweet
Nose - white peach, green pear, mandarin/orange and lime-citrus with notes of floral, light herb, hops/Pilsner and wet stone minerality. Wood is infrequently used.
Palate - light to medium bodied with notes of peach, citrus, lees, and wet stone.
Structure - medium to medium-plus alcohol with medium-plus acidity.
ID Keys - a combination of peach, sweet citrus and herbal-citrusy character with aromas if flowers, beer/hops (lees) and mineral. Albariño is often described as “Viognier nose with a Riesling palate”
Viognier
Northern Rhône (Château Grillet-Condrieu)
Sight - medium straw and very bright
Nose - pronounced floral, stone fruits, honey, and mineral. Some wines are aged in new oak.
Palate - medium-to-full-bodied and dry to bone dry. The finish is long with ripe and tart fruit, floral, and mineral with a touch of phenolic bitterness.
Structure - medium to medium plus alcohol with medium to medium plus acidity.
ID Keys - a combination of floral quality, ripe stone fruits, and minerality. Some wines offer new oak notes.
Viognier
New World
California
Australia
Sight - medium to deep straw to medium yellow. Bright to very bright.
Nose - ripe-over ripe apricot/peach/nectarine fruit with honey, and floral elements. New oak is often used and malolactic notes often present.
Palate - very ripe fruit balanced by crisp acidity and the hallmark touch of bitterness on the finish.
Structure - medium-plus to high alcohol with medium to medium-plus acidity.
ID Keys - ripe, often over-ripe stone fruits, floral notes and the use of new oak.
Gruner Veltliner
Austria
Sight - pale to medium straw
Nose - herbal-vegetal qualities (rotundone) are typical: celery, caraway, radish, white pepper, lentils. Cooler climate wines are lighter in body with tart green apple/pear, bright citrus fruits, and with earth and/or mineral. Warmer climate wines offer riper fruit with notes KD leach-nectarine, rhubarb, yellow apple, honey and more.
Palate - dry to off dry; styles range from light to racy to rich, weighty, and grand depending on specific region (classification) and producer.
Structure - medium to high alcohol with medium-plus to high acidity.
ID Keys - can be light and racy or full-bodies and grand. Ripe fruit and the celery-radish-white pepper combination make this wine unique.
Rising
Germany
Sight - pale straw to pale yellow depending on specific pradikat or vintage. Green highlights and very bright to brilliant.
Nose - wife range of aromas and flavours: light bodied Kabinett wines offer flavours of bright citrus and tart green apple/pear with notes of tropical fruit. Richer, noble sweet wines display botrytis wines offer ripe stone fruits and honey. Slate/earth/mineral is important for all the wines. No wood.
Palate - dry to very sweet depending on the palate.
Structure - low to medium alcohol with medium-plus to high acidity.
ID Keys - from light, delicate Kabinetts with just a touch of sweetness all the way to noble sweet wines with very high acidity and a wealth of residual sugar. Older wines can display fuel or petroleum.
Riesling
Alsace
Sight - medium straw. Very bright.
Nose - ripe apple/pear and peach fruit. Wines with botrytis have honey and stone fruits with floral and earthy notes.
Palate - dry or off dry and full bodied with good balancing acidity and considerable minerality.
Structure - medium plus to high alcohol with medium plus to high acidity.
ID Keys - more alcohol and richness than most German Riesling’s.
Pinot Gris
Alsace
Sight - medium to deep straw to medium yellow. Bright to very bright.
Nose - ripe, smoky yellow apple and Mellon with sweet and tart citrus, floral and earth-mineral. Some wines show botrytis character.
Palate - medium-plus to full-bodied and dry to off dry. Very ripe fruit with an earthy character.
Structure - medium-plus to high alcohol with medium to medium-plus acidity.
ID Keys - full-bodied and off-dry with rich, smoky pear-melon fruit and earthiness. High alcohol and phenolic bitterness on the finish.
Pinot Grigio
Alto Adige
Sight - pale to medium straw with a touch of rose-copper. Very bright.
Nose - tart apple, citrus, straw, mineral.
Palate - medium bodied, dry to bone dry.
Structure - medium alcohol and medium-plus acidity.
ID Keys - light and citrusy with tart fruit, lees, and mineral notes.
