Wines?

[ducklite]

So are tannins what makes your tongue feel sort of tingly after a sip of wine?

"Puckery" might be a better description, but "tingkly" could work as well.

Anne

 

[lil mermaid]

I swear it's real! I copied it off of the website! It's a description of 1998 Chateau Lafite Rothschild Pauillac. I was going to ask if it was a good thing for wine to taste like lead pencil, especially when it sells for almost $400 per bottle!

I love reading tasting notes on wine. My favorite is when they use "cat pee" to describe sauvignon blanc...

 

[Tazicket]

Cat pee??!?!?!?! Are you serious?!?!?!

 

[fabumouse]

I love reading tasting notes on wine. My favorite is when they use "cat pee" to describe sauvignon blanc...

Now that's how we usually describe an oak-y chardonnay!

On the sauvignon blanc notes, I'd like to add that the best ones (meaning the smoothest, fullest tasting, all-around yummiest) are from New Zealand and specifically from the Marlborough region. And that sounds very specific, but you'll usually find a big selection of these at a decent sized wine store - because they make the best ones. There is a big price range, usually for any budget.

As for undertones of lead and petrol, when my DD is allowed to pick a wine, she goes for the prettiest pictures. We've gagged, I mean tasted, some pretty *interesting* wines over the years.

 

[lil mermaid]

Now that's how we usually describe an oak-y chardonnay!

On the sauvignon blanc notes, I'd like to add that the best ones (meaning the smoothest, fullest tasting, all-around yummiest) are from New Zealand and specifically from the Marlborough region. And that sounds very specific, but you'll usually find a big selection of these at a decent sized wine store - because they make the best ones. There is a big price range, usually for any budget.

As for undertones of lead and petrol, when my DD is allowed to pick a wine, she goes for the prettiest pictures. We've gagged, I mean tasted, some pretty *interesting* wines over the years.

I agree - I LOVE LOVE LOVE Cloudy Bay.

 

[lil mermaid]

Cat pee??!?!?!?! Are you serious?!?!?!

Yeah - it is sort of pungent and asparagus-y....

 

[Tazicket]

Sorry...just sounds odd. I'm new to the world, remember?

 

[Quinn222]

I don't find dry reds bitter at all. To me the good ones are really smooth and have an undertone of butter almost among the fruit (I know, I sound like one of those stupid wine descriptions.) Tannins come from the oak barrels in which the wine is aged. Since chardonnay ages less it has less time to mellow those oaky tannins. Not all taste like that though and recently South American and New Zealand are both producing un-oaked chardonnays that are inexpensive and quite tasty. I haven't read up on them but I assume they aren't barrel aging them.
Barrel aged reds tend to have more time to really develop their flavour. Sometimes (often) they go through an awkward period though, where they go from young and fruity with a bright, alcoholic taste to this really weird off tatse before they settle down and become great. Most people don't buy wines like that as they are so expensive and people don't want to keep bottles around for years before they drink them That said though, when you start seeing 2006 vinatges from France, buy them. Rumour has it that this is going to be the very best year in maybe a century for almost every region.

 

[Tazicket]

Thanks for the tip! We'll keep our eyes open.

 

[faith]

I guess everyone will get a good laugh, but that's okay.
There's probably a Walmart with groceries near you. Try their Wild Vine brand, Blackberry Merlot. It's about $6.00 a bottle.
If you try it, would love to know what you think.