I recently played an enjoyable round
of golf with my good friend and fellow wine aficionado Len Stone. We’re both members at Northern
California ’s sparkling gem of a golf course—The California Golf
Club. After posting our scores in the
Pro Shop computer, we settled into our award winning, Men’s Bar for a glass of
red wine—Len’s treat today.
I thanked Len for the treat,
and after the ritualistic swirl, sniff and sip, I issued my flashcard evaluation: “A Classic California Red. Rich.
Ripe. Fruity. Very aromatic. Few, if any tannins.” Len quickly added, “I don't mind tannins, but I really don't care for the more aggressive ones!” (More on that
below.)
Much like those on their
first date best behavior, with someone they’re frantic to impress, this perky wine
shows up to please. It has a perfumed, soft,
fruity and agreeable underlying character that clearly intends not to
offend. It will work quite well as a conversational
sipper (which it was for us) and reasonably good background music to a juicy
burger and fries.
However, having said that, it’s
worthwhile to note that it is as good as it’s gonna get, for it is not structured
for the long haul. That is, its lack of
tannins will hold it back from developing more complex aromatic and flavor
nuances. For those in search of
complexity and an improving underlying profile, you will have to look
elsewhere.
For the other 80% of the wine drinking public, this is your “daily drinker” wine. (I should also mention that Romey informed us that one of the members recently trekked to the local supermarket to purchase several cases of the McManis Cabernet.)
For the other 80% of the wine drinking public, this is your “daily drinker” wine. (I should also mention that Romey informed us that one of the members recently trekked to the local supermarket to purchase several cases of the McManis Cabernet.)
To be sure, many wine drinkers
do not care for tannins of any kind. (Quite revealingly, they also don’t like dryness,
which many novices routinely confuse with tannins.) Nevertheless, in the world
of tannins, there are tannins, and then there are TANNINS! They can be as sly
and subliminal as a chocolate truffle, or as fierce and treacherous as a
propane torch.
Seasoned wine drinker know which is which, and when to expect
them. For others, it takes time and commitment to sort it all out. Young wines from the
super-premium, red wine appellations are not the ones to drink in their
youth. They teasingly invite inquiry,
but then they sear your palate with a “do not disturb” warning sign. Later on, after five or ten years, the
“welcome mat” is out, and they are ready
to seduce you with a savory cornucopia of aroma and flavor delights.
On their 9/10/13 posting,
Internet website Wine Folly lists no fewer than 25 ways to describe the various
levels and types of tannins, all the way from Flabby (no tannins) at one end, to Bitter (very intense) at the other. At the user-friendly mid-point
(those are the wines to search out!) we find these: structured (well integrated and fine), chocolate (fine grained and smooth), silky (fine grained,
ultra-smooth) and smooth (well
integrated).
While I have never attended a
“Tannins Tasting Class,” and I’m not sure if they are even offered, I believe
that such instruction would be particularly instructive. One would not only discover the various
intensities and their relative importance, but he/she would also learn that
they are, quite literally, the backbone of red wines. They provide
vitality—giving it structure and the vigor to age and improve. In absence of such classes, one should, when
reading magazine or newspaper tastings, make a note how the tannins are
characterized, and, if possible, sample the wine while reading the notes. (This is also a good way to develop your wine
tasting jargon!)
Finally, when it comes to
assessing a wine, formally or otherwise, most of us tend do it with aroma and
flavor as the targets. What we should be
doing, at least from time to time, is to evaluate
and understand it from the standpoint of structure—how that wine impacts
and feels on the palate, with aromas and flavors being secondary. An appreciation of tannins and acidity, as well
as dryness and alcohol, will make for a greater understanding and enjoyment of what
wine is all about.
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