ask a sommelier
How does soil enhance the flavour of grapes? Can you expect changes in the flavour of grapes with water content and seasonal fluctuations? In short, can you actually taste the weather? – Lev Zentner
Dear Lev,
Yes! Let’ s first consider the effect of weather. Few wine regions are blessed with predictable weather year in, year out. Many of the great classic regions( Bordeaux, Champagne, Burgundy) are in“ marginal” climates in which the annual weather varies considerably. Great years( or“ vintages”) experience few threats such as heavy rains, hail, drought, high winds, killing frosts, or growth-stunting heat(> 35˚C). Great vintages stretch on into the fall so that the growing season is long and even. Great years give excellent, healthy grapes with full ripeness, little disease, and intense flavours.
Less-than-ideal conditions will affect the taste of finished wines. Rain can dilute flavours and intensity; high humidity promotes disease in the vineyard that can affect flavours; high heat can induce premature sugar ripening at the expense of flavour development; excessive sun exposure can sunburn grapes, whereas too little sun can produce under-ripe character in wines( green pepper in Cabernet Sauvignon or cat litter box in Sauvignon Blanc).
The soils in many classic regions can help even out the effects of vintage variation. For example, the freedraining gravel soils of the Left Bank of Bordeaux help prevent the waterlogging of vine root systems. Overall, vintage variation creates ups and downs in quality but creates an extra dimension of complexity. And yes, for a well-documented region such as Bordeaux, experienced tasters can guess the vintage based on the flavour profile of the wine.
– Gary Hewitt
What are tannins?
Dear Darlene,
– Darlene Cox
Tannins in wine are what give you a sensation of dryness on your palate, or, in extreme cases, a sandpaper-like mouth-puckering feeling. Since tannins come from the grape skins and seeds( sometimes even the stems), they are noticeably present in red wines. Tannins are antioxidants, so they help preserve wines, and are necessary for any red wine intended for your cellar.( Over time, tannins will drop with other solids in the wine as sediments, and the tannins that are left will become smoother and silkier rather than rough and tough.)
A wine with minimal tannins will feel smooth on the palate— the sort of wine you might enjoy on its own. A wine with rough, bracing tannins might be a good candidate to pair with a high protein meal, since the protein binds with tannins to smooth out the wine and bring out the fruit( which is why many people find a powerful, tannic red wine so good with steak).
If you prefer lower tannins, ask for a wine with smooth, soft or velvety tannins; if you prefer your wine to grab you by the collar and give you a tussle, ask for a wine with firm or bracing tannins.
– Sylvia Jansen
I understand that Port is only made in good vintage years, or do they only make good vintage Port in good years?
– Jim Walsh
Dear Jim,
British journalist Henry Vinzetelly said it best:“ There are almost as many styles of Port as shades of ribbon in a haberdasher’ s shop!” Port is made each and every year and divided into two categories: wood( tawnies, etc.) and bottle( ruby, LBV, vintage, etc.). Only a few styles show a vintage date, and even fewer are considered“ vintage” Port. Even in a very good year, no Port house( winery) will decide on the fate of their young Port until it has developed over 18 months. Then, if both the house and the Port and Douro Wines Institute agree that the wine of a given year is exceptional enough, a“ vintage” is declared. In theory, producers can declare each year to be a vintage Port year, but they typically only do so three or four times in a decade, when conditions( and wines) are ideal.
The larger, mainly British-owned houses— Grahams, Taylor Fladgate, and Warre’ s— will often disagree over which vintages to declare, and they will rarely declare two years in a row. A good example of two very good, but contested, vintages occurred in 1991 and 1992.
The 1991 vintage was favoured by most houses, especially the Symington family— owners of Dow, Grahams, and Warre’ s. In 1992, a few declared, particularly Taylor and Fonseca. The latter is now considered the better year by most!
Again, many of these same players will have a vintage“ Quinta”( or single vineyard) Port, which they may make as a vintage Port or a special release in non-vintage years. Some of these may outshine Ports from vintage years and come in at a fraction of the price. Regardless of the year, each year some form of Port is made and most that we see in the market are blends of multi-year Ports. Enjoy one of life’ s pleasures: vintage Port!( But, please, be patient...)
– Darren Raeside
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