| TASTE BENCHMARKS | |||
| Profile #1 Classic Collectible Style |
Profile #2 Quaffable Style |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Consistently medium-dark red | Medium garnet. | |
| Aroma | Heady violets, rich plum, huckleberry and darjeeling tea aromas are accented by complex and exotic aromas of lemongrass, cilantro, gensing, bay, seville orange, and white pepper, which develop amazing bouquet of cedar, sandalwood, and tobacco with age. | Bright strawberry, smoked sage,orange peel and lemongrass complexed by exotic elements such as sandalwood, coconut, five spice, cocoa, marmite and seaweed. | |
| Flavor | Fine, oily tannins, dense but feminine with complex flavors and alluring flavor persistence in the finish. | Light body, quaffable but with piercing fruit and earth and mature complexites as with Chianti and Rioja wines. | |
| Balance | Soft acidity, some mineral energy, moderate alcohol. | Lively acidity, inviting warmth, complexity and length. Usually available at good prices. | |
| PRODUCTION CORRELATIONS | |||
| Oenological | Standard Bordelais vinification, sometimes with extended maceration. | Standard Bordelais vinification, sometimes with extended maceration. | |
| Viticultural | Verticle shoot positioning and close spacings to maximize concentration of flavors without shading. Extended hangtime develops complex flavors and feminine tannins. | Verticle shoot positioning and close spacings to maximize concentration of flavors without shading. Extended hangtime develops complex flavors and feminine tannins. | |
| Terroir | Sandy, well-drained soils which ameliorate inevitably rainy harvests, moderating oceanic influence which both extends the long, cool growing season and protects this fragile variety from winter kill, making old vines a possibility. | Unlike Bordeaux, pleasant drinkable wines result here in the cool rainy years. The protracted growing season and well-drained sands permit full maturity if not concentration. | |