Red Wine
Table of contents
The sensory attributes of red wine are highly dependent on grape variety, wine style, the climate of the region and the duration of any maturation. Lighter-bodied styles, including rosé wines, will tend to exhibit red berry, floral and confectionary notes, but they may also exhibit some developed notes. Fuller-bodied red wine styles are more likely to exhibit a combination of both varietal expression and oak influence. As red wines age, the intensity of fruit characters will diminish and developed characters become more prominent; tannins will also soften.
Appearance
from pale pink to orange rose to brown red (for rosé wines); then from crimson red to purple red (for younger red wines) to brick red or brown red (for older red wines).
Aroma and Flavour
Fruit Characters (depending on grape variety)
berry fruit (blackberry, blackcurrant, blueberry, cranberry, mulberry, raspberry, strawberry); tree fruit (cherry, plum); floral (blossom, honeysuckle, jasmine, rose, violet); spice (black pepper, licorice); vegetal (asparagus, capsicum, cucumber, cut grass, grassy, herbal, mint, tobacco, tomato leaf); other (barnyard, confectionary cola, dusty, earthy, fruitcake, forest floor, jammy, musk, perfumed, raisin, tar, truffle).
Developed Characters
allspice, bacon, caramel, cedar, charry, chocolate, cigar box ,cinnamon, clove, coconut, coffee, dusty, mocha, nutty, pencil shavings, resinous, roasted, spicy, sandalwood, sawdust, smoky, toasty, vanilla (oaked red wine); barnyard, chocolate, coffee, earthy, fig, leather, meaty, mossy, mushroom, prune, savoury, soy, tar, tea leaf, tobacco, truffle, walnut (aged red wine).
Taste and Mouthfeel
The taste and texture of red wines very much depends on grape variety and climate, wine style, and the use of any oak or bottle maturation. Rosé wines should exhibit crispy acidity, but fuller-bodied styles tend to have softer acidity. Young red wines can be tannic, even astringent, but with maturation, tannins will soften. Mouthfeel descriptors for red wines can range from aggressive, drying or puckering to fine, silky, supple and velvety.
Colour
Light-Bodied Red Wine
Light-bodied red wines tend to have a lighter and more translucent color. (you’ll be able to see through them.) Hues range from from a bright purple to garnet. e.g. Pinot Noir, St. Laurent, Zweigelt, and Gamay.
Medium-Bodied Red Wine
Medium-bodied red wines tend to medium-rich colors. This range of wines is diverse and includes Garnacha, Sangiovese, and Zinfandel. Discover more types of wine.
Full-Bodied Red Wine
Full-bodied red wines are often deeply colored and this indicates a possible presence of higher tannin. These wines are highly extracted and opaque. e.g. Syrah, Malbec, Mourvèdre, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Old Red Wine
When a red wine is far past its prime it will be a dull brown color. Many wines will last 20 years or more without showing much color change. Merlot and Nebbiolo stain orange earlier than other types of wine.
Rosé Wine
Rosé wines are made with regular red grapes such as Mourvedre, but the grape skins aren’t exposed to the juice for as long. The result is a much more pale red wine. Depending on the variety used, a rosé can range from pale salmon (Pinot Noir) to magenta (Garnacha).
