Gus Clemens on Wine explores and explains the world of wine in simple, humorous, fun posts Gus Clemens

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This is the final episode of our adventure into the world of wine descriptors.
• Spicy: Various grapes contribute spice—syrah, zinfandel, petite sirah, malbec, grenache, gewürztraminer, riesling, and viognier typically are cited as being spicy. Oak barrels also impart spice. Common spice flavors are cinnamon, pepper, anise, clove, nutmeg, ginger, and mint. For most sippers, a slice of spice is a nice thing to encounter in the wine.
• Dry, Semi-dry, Sweet: Refers to the amount of residual sugar. In broad terms, in dry wine, all the sugar was converted to alcohol. In sweet wine there is residual sugar. Semi-dry falls in between. These are the general terms. Still wines and sparkling wines have different nomenclatures and more nuanced divisions. In still wines, going from driest to sweetest, the wine can be bone-dry, dry, off-dry, medium sweet, and sweet. In sparkling wines, going from driest to sweetest, the wine can be brut nature, extra brut, brut, extra-dry, dry, demi-sec, and doux. Sweetness often is the first characteristic you notice when tasting wine.
• Final thoughts: Wine descriptors—and their fellow partners in crime, wine scores—are inherently, patently imperfect, sometimes ridiculous. But we live in a chaotic world assaulted by a hurricane of choices. We rely on others to help separate the wheat from the chaff all the time. Recommendations from family and friends for all manner of things. Book reviews. Movie reviews. Restaurant reviews. Customer reviews.
And so it goes with wine. Can written words perfectly describe the experience you will have with a specific wine? Of course not, and every reputable wine writer knows that and will be quick to tell you. In the best case, the words entertain you and give you some assistance as you face a wall of wine choices at your wine store, supermarket, or online seller. Imperfectly passing on knowledge and experience is the skill set that makes us humans.
Tasting notes
• Gillmore Collezione del Maule, Valle del Loncomilla, Chile 2020: Blend of four Italian grape varieties grown in Chile. Exceptionally smooth, sophisticated, delicious. $18-20 Link to my review
• Van Duzer Dijon Blocks Estate Grown Pinot Noir, Van Duzer Corridor, Oregon 2021: A bit more assertive darker fruits than other efforts, it also has impressive complexity and layers. $57-65 Link to my review
• Stags’ Leap Winery The Leap Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Grown Stags Leap District 2018: Consistent winner from one of Napa’s most hallowed districts by one of Napa’s premier makers. $90-115 Link to my review
Last round
A little known rule is that all employees of IKEA have to stand in a line in the meeting room before every shift. Some assembly is always required. Wine time.
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This is the weekly column
Continuing our adventure in the world of wine descriptors.
• Tannin: Tannins come from grape skins, seeds, and oak barrels. Tannin creates puckery, black tea-like sensations in your mouth that some people hate and others love. Tannic wines do well with fat-rich red meat because tannins cut through the fat coating your tongue, enhancing the beef experience. Tannins also are key components of wine built for aging, as they preserve the wine. Many tannic wines—Italian nebbiolo, for instance—are held in bottle for years before release to allow the tannins to mellow.
J. Nathan Matias
All tannins are not the same. Tannins are mostly characteristic of red wines rather than whites because most tannins come from the skins, stems, and seeds. White wines spend very little time on the skins, stems, and seeds, while red wines can spend many weeks in contact. When tannins are harsh or aggressively drying, they are bad. When they are chewy or rustic, they can be good depending on your palate. When they are silky, integrated, smooth, round, lush, velvety, or supple, they are good, even if the wine writer cannot really tell you difference between round and lush or smooth and silky.
Dusty tannins are a special, Janus-faced category. Generally, dusty refers to tannic density. Dusty tannins may provide a pleasing, refined background to fruit. Or they can be a drying, powdery note that steals flavor at the finish. Like many wine descriptors, “dusty” can just be a wine writer throwing adjectives against the wall.
• Structure: The balance of tannin, acidity, and alcohol, plus fruit and sugar level constitute a wine’s structure. The combination of those elements determine the overall feel in the mouth and perception of the wine. Wines that lack structure are thin, flabby, disjointed, too tannic or too acidic. It is possible for a wine to have too much structure, usually because it is too tannic and out of balance with acidity and alcohol. Good structure, on the other hand, is a characteristic of high quality wines. Balanced structure allows wine to evolve over time in the bottle and develop more depth and complexity.
Tasting notes
• Corvo Irmàna Frappato Red Wine 2019: Bright, light, fresh, fruity, delicate. Fun, easy drinker will please those put off by heavier, more tannic/serious red wines. $15-17 Link to my review
• Hope Family Wines Treana Sauvignon Blanc, California 2022: Smooth, very approachable; retains food-friendly acidity. $18-20 Link to my review
• Project M Anicca Oregon Chardonnay, Eola-Amity Hills AVA 2022: Nicely structured, elegant with savory core from prime region for quality chardonnay. $40 Link to my review
Last round
Why are frogs so happy? They eat whatever bugs them. Wine time.
Gus Clemens on Wine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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In our continuing investigation into the world of wine descriptors, we move to common terms.
• Acidity: Key component of wines that “clean the palate” and affect how wine looks, tastes, and ages. The two main acids are tartaric and malic. Hot years/climates reduce acidity. Cold years/climates increase acidity. Acidity preserves freshness and keeps wines lively—very good thing. Too much acidity stomps on fruit flavors and texture—not a good thing. In tasting notes, “good acidity” often means it pairs well with food. Acidity especially is important in white wines and sweet wines.
• Ripe: Grapes achieve ideal level of maturity. Less-mature grapes produce lighter wines with less flavor, more acidity; over-mature grapes produce high-alcohol wines with less acidity. Ripe is the desired spot in the middle. Picking at perfect ripeness can be the most significant decision a winemaker makes in the vineyard.
• Rustic: Describes hearty, earthy wines. Petite sirah and carignane celebrate being called rustic. Rustic tannins can be coarse and chewy, which your palate may or may not love. On the other hand, if an expensive Burgundy is rustic, that is not a good thing. Wine cannot have silky, sophisticated tannins and be rustic at same time. If you like pleasure with a dollop of danger, rustic is good. If you prefer Maurice Chevalier over Arnold Schwarzenegger, rustic may not be the way to go.
• Round: Generally, means wines that have lost youthful, astringent tannins through bottle aging and/or oak aging. Also describes young wines with soft tannins and low acidity. Associated with terms like velvety, creamy, plush, buttery. Generally, a good thing. Unless you lust for rustic.
• Soft: Round, fruity, low in acidity, no aggressive tannins, easy to drink, maybe with a hint of sweetness. Often fruit-forward. Round often is associated with merlot and mass market, supermarket wines.
• Earthy: Little girl with a curl—when good, very good indeed; when bad, horrid. Good: fresh soil, minerals, vegetation, intense expression of the land. Bad: barnyard after cows finish eating. The chemical compound geosmin—a Greek name that translates as “earth smell”—is thought responsible, but the term is not about dirt, rather complexity and depth. Often is referenced in pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, and syrah.
Tasting notes
• Charles Krug Peter Mondavi Sr. Family Estate Chardonnay, Carneros, Napa Valley 2021: Popular, versatile mainstay from Krug, a fabled Napa maker. 20-25 Link to my review
• Van Duzer Bieze Vineyard Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills, Willamette Valley 2021: Refined delight; congenial pleasure on the palate. $65 Link to my review
Last round
Why do Native Americans disdain rain dances in April? Because April showers bring Mayflowers. Wine time.
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In our investigation of wine descriptors, we continue our plunge into wine’s weird words.
• Petrol/diesel: Associated with riesling. Aroma is not the smell you get filling your farm truck, but does suggest diesel or gasoline. It is caused by good-thing antioxidant TDN (1,1,6-trimethyl-1,2-dihydronaphthalene if you are a chemist geek), which forms from beta carotene and lutein as riesling ages. It is a distinctive, distinguishing marker for those identifying riesling in blind tastings. It also blows away after exposure to air.
• Burnt rubber: Associated with syrah, also with South African wines. South Africans took umbrage when an English critic used the descriptor. “We prefer that people use the term acrid rather than burnt rubber,” averred a spokesperson for Wines of South Africa. Current descriptor preferred by wineries for this nose note: “sun-dried tomatoes.”
• Tar: Associated with nebbiolo (Barolo/Barbaresco) and syrah—means aromas and flavors reminiscent of tar. Who eats or smells tar to find out? Some claim it describes a mix of meat and black pepper. Remember, smell is at least 75% of taste, so the “taste” of tar really is a slight—and slight is key—aroma of tar.
• Pencil shavings: Associated with cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot: hints of cedar or eucalyptus wood. Cigar box also associated with this nose nuance. Think of sharpening the #2 in the third grade. It is a mineral smokiness similar to graphite. Engendered either from tannins in the wine or the wine’s exposure to oak during the winemaking process, to put a fine point on it.
Tasting notes
• Benziger Family Winery Chardonnay 2022: Sonoma chard—lively acidity frames citrus, apple, and stone fruit. $14-16 Link to my review
• Monteabellón Tempranillo 5 Meses en Barrica, Ribera del Duero 2020: Easy-going tempranillo effort with refreshing acidity. $14-16 Link to my review
• Domäne Wachau Riesling Federspiel Terrassen 2021: Excellent dry riesling from fabled Austrian wine producing area. Very focused with excellent acidity and complexity. $20-25 Link to my review
• La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2021: Fresh, clean with attractive layers of quality fruit. Lighter version of California pinot noir style. $27 Link to my review
• Masciarelli Marina Cvetić Montepulciano d’Abruzzo S. Martino Rosso Riserva DOC 2019: Good complexity. Nicely evolves in the glass presenting an engaging experience. $29-38 Link to my review
• Trefethen Family Vineyards Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Oak Knoll District, Napa Valley 2021: Assertive Napa cab that combines some earthiness with elegance. $50-70 Link to my review
Last round
My son told my husband he got a part in his school play and he would be playing a man who has been happily married for 25 years. My husband replied: “Maybe next time you’ll get a speaking part.” Wine time.Links to my reviews
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Continuing our investigation of wine descriptors. Last week we noted wine shares the same molecules as familiar, pleasant tastes and smells. But what about all those weird descriptors?
Linnaea Mallette
• Barnyard/sheep butt: Associated with pinot noir, particularly from Burgundy but also sometimes from elsewhere. Believe it or not, it is an earthy scent often associated with quality—and it goes away with decanting or swirling in your glass. It should not be confused with “barnyard” associated with brettanomyces (brett), a yeast that invades wineries and can spoil wine (more about that later). So, there is good barnyard/sheep butt and bad barnyard/sheep butt. You want wine to be simple and easy?
• Farmyard: Associated with aged chianti. Kinder, gentler than “barnyard.” It describes earthy and vegetal undertones some wines develop. Like many such terms, used in admiration or deploration, depending upon the critic and the wine.
• Band-Aid: Smell associated with tempranillo and pinotage, usually means there is bit of brett (brettanomyces)—a yeast usually considered a flaw, but also considered a plus by some when it only slightly influences the wine. Different folks, different strokes. It mostly is associated with red wines. In low concentrations, it adds a spicy, leathery note. In higher concentrations, it ruins the wine.
• Wet wool/damp straw: Associated with chenin blanc. The aroma resembles lanolin, a fatty substance secreted by a sheep’s skin. The descriptor often occurs alongside mentions of honey, pears, lemon. Chenin blanc may be world’s most versatile grape—capable of almost any style. It is superb in the Loire Valley of France. Want upscale? Ask for “Vouvray,” chenin blanc’s greatest appellation. Swirl, inhale, wistfully comment on its whisper of wet wool wafting amid notes of wild honey and lemons.
• Cat pee: Associated with sauvignon blanc, particularly from cooler climate makers in New Zealand and France-Sancere. It arises from natural compounds called pyrazines that give sauv blanc its grassy, herbaceous notes. When weak, sometimes called “lantana bush.” When stronger, “cat pee.” Again, a symbol of quality that will blow away with some air. So don’t meow. Say: “oui, oui, Sancere cat pee is for me.”
Tasting notes
• Wine By Joe Pinot Noir, Oregon 2021 is wonderfully delicious, affordable Oregon pinot noir. Congenial example of the impressive quality of Oregon pinot noir. $19 Link to my review
• Auntsfield Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Southern Valley, Marlborough, New Zealand 2022: Checks all the boxes you want to check on a New Zealand sauv blanc. $17-22 Link to my review
Last round
What do you get if you divide the circumference of a bowl of ice cream by its diameter? Pi a la mode. Wine time.
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Using words to describe wine is fraught with peril and leaves wine writers exposed to ridicule. Adapting a line from Martin Mull: writing about wine is like dancing about architecture. And we do it anyway.
Many terms about wine tastes and smells are easy to understand, delicious to imagine.
Cherry, strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, plum, peach, pear, apricot, cranberry, lemon, lime, blackberry, watermelon. We know those tastes and more from fruit we eat, and we can perceive them in the wine we drink.
Then, there are problematic descriptors. Minerals: like sucking on a rock. Who does that? Leather: do winemakers drop cowhides into their fermentation tanks? Green bell pepper: wait, I thought wine was made from grapes. What are those wine snobs talking about? Are they just making stuff up to appear superior to those of us who just want to sip something to complement a meal, maybe get a little buzz, maybe titillate the libido of a hot date? We visit wines terms in the next six columns.
Bradley Cooper
Let’s start with the easy flavor and aroma notes related to fruits. Grapes are fruits and share the same complex chemistry with fellow fruits. During grape fermentation chemical compounds—esters—are created that are identical or nearly identical to those found in other fruits. When a wine is said to have cherry flavor or aroma, it is just as valid to say that cherry juice has a wine flavor or aroma.
Secondary flavors spring from the winemaking process. Oak barrels impart notes from the wood. American oak tends to evoke vanilla and coconut notes, French oak hazelnut and smokiness. All oak can bring oak spice, clove, toast, chocolate depending on how the barrel is made. Oak aging, which allows a slow intake of oxygen, makes wine smoother and less astringent while it adds its flavor and aroma notes.
Tertiary flavors develop with aging, in barrel, in stainless steel, in concrete eggs, and in the bottle. Those flavors and aromas include earth, coffee, and leather. In all these cases, the flavors and aromas are caused by the same—or nearly identical—chemical compounds found in the descriptors. As with fruit descriptors, it is just as valid to say this wine has aroma notes of leather as it is to say leather has aroma notes of a wine. The molecules presenting the sensation are the same or almost the same.
We will plunge into weird wine terms the next two weeks.
Last round
Why did the cowboy get a wiener dog? Because he wanted to get a long little doggie. Wine time.
Gus Clemens on Wine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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