Grape flavor profiles Flashcards
Merlot flavor profile
Flavors: depends on ripeness
Just ripe produces light-medium body wine w/ fresh red fruit flavors (strawberry, red plum) and herbaceous notes (green bell pepper/capsicum)
Riper grapes produce wines w/ medium to full body and cooked blackfruit flavors (blackberry, black plum)
Cab Sauv flavor profile
Flavors: Pronounced black fruit (black currant, black cherry and usually herbal (mint) or herbaceous notes (green bell pepper/capsicum. In warm climates, flavors can become cooked
Climate: moderate to warm, but in moderate climate, it can struggle to ripen in all but ripest sites. Need long growing season.
Body: medium to full
Deep color
Gamay flavor profile
Flavors: red-fruit (rasberry, red cherry, red plum). Aged in inert vessels, rarely have oak taste.
Very good cru’s have medium to pronounced red fruit and medium to long finish.
Usually served chilled to emphasize fresh fruit flavors
Carmenere taste profile
Flavors if harvested unripe have pungent herbaceous flavors like green bell pepper, capsicum, tomato leaf.
When ripe, fresh black-fruit flavors (blackberry)
Often oaked, develops tertiary flavors of leather/earth
Blended w/ CS or Merlot
Grenache/Garnacha flavor profile
Flavors: Red fruit (strawberry, red plum, red cherry) sometimes spice (white pepper, licorice)
Can be used to make dry to medium sweet rose intended to be consumed chilled when young.
Malbec flavor profile
Flavor: black fruit (blackberry, black plum)
Maturation in new oak adds softness and spicy clove/vanilla flavors)
Good versions add dried fruit/meat.
Common to blend w/ CS and/or Merlot
Pinotage flavor profile
Flavors: red-fruit flavors (strawberry, red cherry) in fruity medium body style, full body style add concentrated red and black fruit flavors (red plum, blackberry)
If oaked, it adds coffee, chocolate, smoke.
Single varietal or blend w/ CS/Merlot known as Cape Blend
Outstanding ones can age
Pinot Noir flavor profile
Flavors: red fruit (strawberry, raspberry, red cherry), range from fresh to cooked depending on ripeness.
Best have subtle oak aromas (smoke, cloves, vanilla)
Usually consumed young, but older varieties get tertiary flavors (forest floor, mushroom)
Nebbiolo flavor profile
Foothills of the Alps, protected by mountains of the north and broad variety of slopes/soils. Climate is moderate. Steep south facing vineyards help growth.
Flavor: red-fruit (red cherry, red plum) notes of dried herbs and sometimes floral characters (rose, violet)
Tannin is oaked in both new and old barrels. Best examples add mushroom, tobacco, leather.
Nebbiolo only variety permitted in the Barolo DOCG in Piemonte.
Smaller region of Barbaresco DOCG NE of Barolo DOCG makes similar wines.
Good aging potential.
Typically single varietal
full bodied
Barbara flavor profile
Flavor: red fruit (red cherries, red plums) sometimes black pepper
Wines can be unoaked/fruity while some are oaked/aged.
Barbera d’Asti DOCG likely best. Lower tannin than Nebbiolo, so usually drank younger.
Typically single varietal
simple or complex
oaked or unoaked
Corvina flavor profile
Flavor: red cherry, red plum
Most important grape in Valpolicella, Veneto region of NE Italy.
Usually blended.
Valpolicella DOC is typically light bodied, fruity and simple. Rarely oaked, consumed when young
Valpolicella DOC Classico from hillier region and has more body/complexity.
Appasimento dries grapes indoors to intesify sugar, acid, tannin, flavors. Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG is dry to off dry, full bodied wine w/ high alcohol, high tannin and fresh fruit (red cherries) and dried fruit (prunes, raisins, figs). Good examples can age
Recioto della Valpolicella DOCG is a sweet wine that has such high sugars the yeasts can’t ferment them.
Syrah/Shiraz flavor profile
Flavor: moderate climate is medium body and has fresh black-fruit (black cherry, blackberry) herbal notes and black-pepper aroma (signature Northern Rhone)
Warm climate (Australia) full bodied high alcohol, ripe /cooked black fruit and licorice.
Montepulciano flavor profile
Flavor of red fruit (red cherries, red plums)
Herbal (dried herbs)
Inexpensive ones not oaked, simple, not aged.
Chianti Classico DOCG is medium bodied and red-fruit aromas and dried herb notes. Oak aging softens tannin and ads cloves, cedar. Best ones develop meat/leather
Chianti Classico DOCG Riserva gets stricter aging requirements.
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG is a powerful, full bodied wine from Montalcino in southern Tuscany. high acid and tannin and must mature in oak.
Blend or single
oaked or unoaked
typically for early drinking
Montpulciano flavor profile
Montepulciano - Deeply coloured with medium acidity, high tannin, black fruit flavors (black plum, black cherry). Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC. Mostly simply/fruity wines for early drinking.
Zinfandel Flavor profile
