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CHAPTER 3 – INTERNATIONAL VARIETALS
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CHAPTER 3 – INTERNATIONAL VARIETALS
Contents• White wine– What to look for– Riesling characteristics– Chardonnay characteristics– Sauvignon Blanc characteristics
• Red wine– What to look for– Cabernet Sauvignon characteristics– Pinot Noir characteristics– Merlot characteristics– Syrah / Shiraz characteristics
• Sparkling wine– What to look for– The different sparkling styles
• Focused Tastings
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White wine
• Length of fruit flavours– The longer the better.– Wood should not
overpower fruit• Acid balance
– Benchmark: no more tangy than a cold green apple on a hot day.
• Sweetness– Fruit sweetness rather
than sugar (cloying, sticky aftertaste)
What to look for in white wine:
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Chardonnay
Key points: Most widely produced white wine.
Versatile grape that grows well in a variety of locations.
In New World, often subjected to Malo-Lactic Fermentation (MLF) and exposure to oak.
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Chardonnay
Characteristics: Non aromatic variety; affinity with oak –
adds texture, toasty, clove, cinnamon & nutty features.
Cold climate: Light & elegant - lemon, lime blossom, acacia flowers, hazelnuts, etc
Warmer climate: Stronger colour - butter, cream, honey.
Depending on quality, fruit can be quite bland.
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Chardonnay
Examples of Chardonnay wines aroundthe world:
France - BurgundyChablis – unoaked, minerally, lean, bone dryCôte de Beaune – oaked, full bodied, hazel nutty, intense
dry white.
New world (Australia, California, …)Usually oaked, buttery, toasty, fruit flavours varying with
climate:cool climate – melon, apple, grapefruitwarm climate – peach, mango, lime, pineapple.
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One of the world`s greatest white wine grapes.
Hardy wood makes it extremely resistant to frost.
Excels in cooler climates.
Slow ripening in cool climates - excellent source for sweet wines made from grapes attacked by the noble rot Botrytis Cinerea.
Riesling
Key Points:
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Riesling
Characteristics: Purity of fruit, high acid, crisp & fresh
Cold climate: Light & elegant - apples, limes, lemons
Warmer climate: Less elegant - Honey, apricots
Minerally (reflecting terroirs); kerosene aromas with age
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Riesling
Examples of Riesling wines aroundthe world:
Germany (heartland) Mosel & Rheingau valleysCrisp, lime, lemon, apple, peach, minerally (Mosel)Develops honey and kerosene aromas with age.
France – AlsaceMore floral and perfumed
Australia – Eden & Clare valleysCrisp, Lime, lemon, develops minerally, kerosene aromas
with age.
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Sauvignon Blanc
Key points: A grape variety with a world-wide
reputation for producing fine aromatic white wines.
At its most fragrant and fresh in cool climates.
Known as Fume Blanc in California.
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Sauvignon Blanc
Characteristics: Piercing, refreshing aroma; Crisp, dry &
uncomplicated; pointed flavour
Vast range of aromas, depending on the soil and the vinification process – extends from mineral notes (smoky, flinty) to exotic fruits (passionfruit, mango, papaya, etc.)
Can have green bean, asparagus flavours if unripe.
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Sauvignon Blanc
Examples of Sauvignon Blanc winesaround the world:
France – Loire Valley (Sancerre, Reuilly, Quincy, Mennetou-Salon, Pouilly-Fume)Cut grass, nettles, elderflower, blackcurrant leaf and
gooseberries with minerally, zesty, flinty undertones.
France - BordeauxBlended with Semillon.
New Zealand – Marlborough and Hawkes BayVery aromatic, passionfruit, grapefruit, guava, mango.
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Red wine
• Length of fruit flavours– The longer the better.– Wood should not
overpower fruit• Body and texture
– Traditionally body/texture signified intensity of flavour.
– Now less significant.• Quality of tannins
– Tannins should never be bitter.
What to look for in red wine:
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Cabernet Sauvignon
Key points: The undisputed king of red wines,
Cabernet is a remarkably steady and consistent performer throughout the world.
While it grows well in many appellations, in specific appellations, it is capable of rendering wines of uncommon depth, richness, concentration and longevity.
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Cabernet Sauvignon
Characteristics: Intensity of aroma and flavour
High in tannins from fruit & oak – often require many years of maturation to soften tannins.
Herbaceous when unripe (bell pepper, grassy)
Blackcurrant, plum, black cherry when ripe; Cassis when concentrated.
Affinity with oak – vanilla, cedar, sandalwood, tobacco, coffee, musk and spicy notes.
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Cabernet Sauvignon
Examples of Cabernet Sauvignon winesaround the world:
France - Bordeaux (Medoc, Graves, Saint-Emilion)Often blended with Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
Italy – TuscanyBlended with Sangiovese.
AustraliaOn its own or blended with Merlot or Shiraz.
USA – Napa ValleyOften has mint or eucalyptus notes.
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Merlot
Characteristics: Softer texture and less tannins than
Cabernet Sauvignon.
Very ripe fruit, plumy fruit cake flavours.
A little grassy from cool regions
Blackcurrant, blackberry, blueberry, chocolate and spice characters when ripe.
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Merlot
Key points: Popularity soared in 90’s
Soft texture and smoothness makes it more approachable than Cabernet Sauvignon
Matures early
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Merlot
Examples of Merlot wines around the world: France – Pomerol, Saint-Emilion and Fronsac
Often blended with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Italy – Tuscany
Australia, Chile, USA
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Pinot Noir
Key points: One of the most sensuously fragrant
red grapes in the world
Worldwide reputation for fine red wines.
Pinot Noir is the most fickle of all grapes to grow: it reacts strongly to environmental change such as heat and cold spells, and is notoriously fussy to work with once picked, since its thin skins are easily broken, setting the juice free.
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Pinot Noir
Characteristics: Fruity nose, raspberries, strawberries,
violets; soft & sweet, low tannins.
Becomes jammy if overripe.
Develops silky textures and alluring undertones of truffles, game and leather with age.
Generally matures quickly.
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Pinot Noir
Examples of Pinot Noir wines around the world: France – Burgundy (Cote de Nuits, Cote de
Beaune, Cote Chalonnaise)
USA – Oregon, Washington
New Zealand – Martinborough, Otago
Australia – Yarra Valley, Geelong.
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Syrah / Shiraz
Key points: Syrah is a majestic red that can age for
half a century, especially in cooler climates where wine is slightly acidic and maturation is very slow.
The grape seems to grow well in a number of areas and is capable of rendering rich, complex wines, with pronounced pepper, spice and black cherry aromas.
Known as Shiraz in Australia.
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Syrah / Shiraz
Characteristics: Deep in colour and relatively high in
alcohol, with notes of pepper, spices, violets and ripe red berries (raspberry, mulberry, blackberry).
In cold climates, brings out mint, pepperiness and spice.
As the climate gets warmer, changes from raspberry to blackberry, becoming chocolaty and with age tarry and gamey.
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Syrah / Shiraz
Examples of Syrah / Shiraz wines around the world: France – Northern Rhone (Cote Rotie, Hermitage,
Saint Joseph, Crozes Hermitage, Cornas)Smoky, floral, peppery, minty, spicy, raspberries.
California and South Africa
Australia – Barossa ValleyWorldwide reputation for great shiraz.Australia also blends it with Cabernet Sauvignon.
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Sparkling wine
• Length of fruit flavours– The longer the better (as per
still wine)• Texture of wine and bubbles
– Visually: small and slow rising bubbles. Mousse on the rim should be creamy and light.
– Taste: good quality has a creamy, gentle frothy texture neither aggressive or harsh. Low quality: course, prickly, ‘soda water-like’
What to look for in sparkling wine:
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Sparkling wine styles• Champagne (France)
– Blend of one or more of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier (and rarely Pinot Blanc).
– Rich, deep, biscuit flavour, softer mousse, bubbles from single source in the glass. Not every year has a vintage.
• Cremant de Loire (France)– Fine, delicate, sweeter, different to Champagne
• Cava (Spanish sparkling wine)– Frothy, dense lemon flavour, less creamy
• Spumante (Italian sparkling wine)– Talento – Dry and generally low in aromatics
• Sekt (German sparkling wine)– Lighter style of sparkling wine.
• New world– Large variety of styles. Sparkling reds increasingly
popular.