Wine Examiner - What Makes Wine 'Great?

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POSTED May 3, 5:49 PM

When it comes to wine, it’s the crucial question: What constitutes a “great” wine? Conventional wisdom suggests five qualities a taster should assess to determine whether a wine is great or simply satisfactory. I’ll tell you about the ‘top two’ in today’s posting, with the final three for the next day’s blog. The top two are complexity and varietal characteristics.

There is no vineyard on the planet that time and again produces faultless wines, despite how prestigious or famous the producer may be. Great wine is the exceptional result of perfect conditions, in a perfect vineyard, handled perfectly by the grower, with perfect maturation to follow. A fine line separates what is considered “fine” by one and “great” by another. This matter will always remain subjective; everyone’s palate is different.
Only five or so districts in the entire world have revealed themselves to be capable of producing near-to-ideal wines with consistency and regularity. They are all in France (Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, the Rhine, and the Moselle) though areas of Italy, California, and Australia, as well as Spain, Portugal, and Chile have made great
strides in the production of outstanding wines.

“Complexity” is the first term to break down when defining the qualities that make up a great wine. Complexity isn’t tangible, though—it’s an experience. It’s impossible to search for complexity in a wine; it’s more a force that compels you to return to the glass for another taste or smell, because each time something new is discovered, hence a ‘complex’ wine. Wine critic Matt Kramer defined complexity in a wine as more than a “multiplicity of flavors” and said that for a wine to be truly satisfying “it must continually surprise us and yet we still must be able to grasp these surprises as part of a larger and pleasing pattern. A wine rich in complexity practically defies one to describe it. The exasperatingly indefinable nature of a complex wine will heighten its satisfaction.”

Every grape variety presents its own unique character. When a wine has been made from a single variety of grape and inherent flavors and aromas come through in a clear, uncomplicated, and focused manner, it is said to have good varietal character. Inarguably not all varietal characteristics appeal to the masses. Take the sauvignon blanc grape. Wine characteristics produced from this grape can be herbaceous, tangy, or straw-like. A step further, though possible offensive to some is the appearance of an odor likened to “cat pee.” This is sometimes attributed to this grape and can be considered approvingly, even favorable for those who enjoy sauvignon blancs. I recently tried a New Zealand sauvignon blanc, it about blew my doors off upon the first sip with its assault on my nose. The bouquet on this wine was powerful and unmistakably cat pee. And it was delicious.

Salud!

Categories: sauvignon blanc , complexity , grape characteristics

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Leslie Cramer
Leslie Cramer has worked in the fine wine industry for twenty- something years. Known in some circles as "The Wine Wizardess," she'll cover topics from wine education, to trends o' the day and how to properly propose a toast, to health benefits of the grape.