tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7932954914899442481.post6582473562627550359..comments2023-11-02T08:49:27.787-05:00Comments on Drink the Vine: A Taste of Argentina: #2 of 5The Vine Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13974485965171838956noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7932954914899442481.post-13435104078979399782007-01-24T12:12:00.000-05:002007-01-24T12:12:00.000-05:00Hey Sarge,
This bottle isn't a "fruit bomb" by an...Hey Sarge,<br /><br />This bottle isn't a "fruit bomb" by any means. It's not going to hit the levels of sugar and sweetness that you you would get from a cheap Australian Shiraz. You'll get some fruit in the wine, but also some tannins, a taste of the terrior and minerals of the soil. <br /><br />As for decanting, as I understand it, the primary function of decanting is removing sediment from a bottle. Most of the time a bottle with a good of amount of age on it will need to be decanted (mostly reds) as particles drop out. One by-product maybe greater aeration. <br /><br />I only decant older bottles when sediment is visible at the base of the bottle or it's about 10 years or older. But, I am by no means an expert on this issue.Grape Nuthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03138465704968391880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7932954914899442481.post-90704997387708435912007-01-23T16:20:00.000-05:002007-01-23T16:20:00.000-05:00Sarge,
I didn't taste this bottle, so I couldn't c...Sarge,<br />I didn't taste this bottle, so I couldn't comment, but I would assume this Malbec, like most, is more tannic that Piniot Noir. I can tell you that Malbecs, in general, have a heavier tannic structure that Pinot Noirs because the Malbec grapes have much thicker skins than Pinot Noir. And since the skins/seeds are what give a wine it's tannic structure, Malbecs in general make "dryer" wines. <br /><br />Also, when you say Franc I assume you mean Cabernet Franc. Cab Franc is rarely used as a primary grape when making wine. It is typically a tertiary grape in varietally-blended red wines, such as Bordeaux or Meritage, instead of as a stand-alone varietal bottling. However, Cab Franc wines are also not as "dry" as Malbecs because the grape itself is juicier, and thinner skinned, making the tannic structure less dense than Malbecs.<br /><br />I hope I hit it all...if not, keep asking.The Vine Guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13974485965171838956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7932954914899442481.post-54273108444522553932007-01-23T14:22:00.000-05:002007-01-23T14:22:00.000-05:00Sarge,
The Malbec grape has characteristics that ...Sarge,<br /><br />The Malbec grape has characteristics that fall somewhere between Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. In a Red Wine, "dry" generally reflects the influence of tannin, which can leave one with a slight "pucker" and sensation of dryness on the tongue after tasting. Most of the "classic" or traditional Red Wines (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Bordeaux, Burgundy) are dry wines because they have moderate to dense tannic structure. However, don't let that deter you from trying this wine, as the "dryness" factor has a million different levels.<br /><br />As far as sweetness, there are a slew of factors that contribute to this sensation, not the least of which are alcohol levels, acidity, and tannic structure. For example, a sweet wine such as a Vouvray (fermented can actually taste dry due to the high level of acidity, or a dry wine can taste sweet if the alcohol level is elevated. <br /><br />Not sure this answers your question, but in general the heavier the tannic structure, the "dryer" a wine will appear. Also, the shorter a wine is fermented, the higher in sugar it will be, because the fermentation process turns sugar into alcohol.The Vine Guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13974485965171838956noreply@blogger.com