GLOSSARY OF TERMS USED

GLOSSARY OF TERMS USED

In the tasting notes and domaine explanations, there are some home-grown words or acronyms used, plus some French terms that spring straight to mind when I am tasting or talking to growers. Here goes:

A l'ancien in the old way, a wine that comes in the shape or form of yore, of a previous generation or generations

Barrel I call the French word foudre a barrel: a large oak container for the wine: often 10 hl or 1,000 litres up to 50 to 60 hl

Bâtonnage The stirring of the lees after fermentation. A Burgundian technique used to increase the richness of the wine.

Beau Handsome, lovely, beautiful in the French dictionary. Applied to striking wines.

Biodynamic The extension of organic farming whereby applications of composts or even ground horn are applied to the soil to nourish its minerals and to foster the health of the vines. A lunar calendar is followed, set in place by Rudolph Steiner`s disciple Maria Thun. The prevailing tone is of thoughtful respect and active nurturing of the balance between land, sun, and solar system.

Brioche A French bread that is full of eggs, butter, yeast, milk. Richer than “normal” bread, with a light, cake-like flavour.

Cask A 228-litre cask is the round Burgundian container; the 225-litre cask is the Bordelais version, with a longer shape. Any new cask is this small size.

Cassis Blackcurrant

CHR the acronym for Café, Hotel, Restaurant. Referred to in Britain as the on-trade or pouring trade. CHR wine is ideal for drinking when out and about - supple and open, suited to a variety of dishes.

Citronelle citrus, lemon flavours

Climat A named area in a vineyard, such as Les Bessards at Hermitage. The noble title for the best sites.

Coulure Malformation of the fruit at the time of the vine`s flowering, often in late May. The vine`s grape bunches remain partially formed. Loss of crop is the immediate effect.

Coup d'appel a blow of appeal - isn`t French wonderful? A wine with a strong calling or a strong point of appeal.

Demi-muid A barrel whose size varies between 550 litres and 600 litres. Favoured by several growers since it allows a more gradual oak-air exchange for the wine than the smaller cask sizes.

esp abbreviation of especially

Fining To clarify a wine, egg white or a solution called bentonite can be added to draw out loose particles. This is practiced much less today than in the past.

Flan My term for the flavour like crème patisserie or crème caramel. A Spanish word.

Fundamental What I call a surrounding earthiness to the fruit or flavour: a wine with its feet on the ground, not an airy wine. Indicates depth without necessarily being elegant.

Galet A stone, often smooth and part of old Alpine alluvial deposits. Can be cream or rose-coloured. Found a lot in the southern Rhône.

Garrigue The hill and plateau scrubland of southern France that is home to herbs, crickets and dry, often stony soil. A spring or summer walk quickly surrounds the senses with the mixed fragrant aromas and scents of these parched outcrops - think of thyme, rosemary and hot, baked stones.

Gibier The French word for game – animals such as venison, sanglier (wild boar), or birds such as pheasant, partridge, grouse. A “high” aroma that indicates evolution in the wine.

Gras richness

Grès Sandstone. The northern areas of Châteauneuf-du-Pape on the way to Orange have this soil.

Griottes Black cherries that are soaked in some alcohol, and are rich to the nose and the palate. Usually a term attached to very ripe, rich wines.

ha The abbreviation of hectare. 1 hectare = 2.47 acres

hl The abbreviation of hectolitre. 1 hectolitre = 100 litres

High Tone the smell of varnish or nail-paint, acetic

Lees The leftovers after fermentation, particles that include yeasts: they can be stirred to activate and enrich the wine.

Legs a term that refers to glycerol, the rich tears that run down a glass of wine

Lieu-dit A specific site within a vineyard, such as La Crau or Cabrières at Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The term used by the mapmakers, but more poetically and nobly known as Climat.

LVT Last Vintage Tasted. Used to denote which year is the most recently tasted from the domaine or château in question. r = red wine; wh = white wine.

Malolactic or malo as it is referred to in the notes. The transformation of the wine`s malic acid into lactic acid, after the primary, alcoholic fermentation. In a vintage such as 2003, the malic levels were low due to the extreme ripeness, and the malos took place early and quickly. A grower blocks the malo on a white wine to preserve freshness. It is also becoming fashionable, unfortunately, for growers to have the red wine malo done in oak: a gain in a fake richness is the result.

Massale The selection of vines through taking cuttings from current healthy but old plants. The reverse of relying on clones, this was the old form of propagation before clones came along. Practised in the Northern Rhône by the commendable domaines of Clusel-Roch and Gonon, for instance: no surprise that these two domaines also produce a lot of STGT wines.

Mistral The North Wind that rattles down the southern stretches of the Rhône Valley arising around Montélimar. Great for cleansing the vineyards after rainfall.

Négociant A merchant of wine, one who buys crop or wine and sells it under his or her own label. The Rhône tradition has been négociants such as Chapoutier, Paul Jaboulet Aîné or Guigal to own vineyards as well as to buy in other crop or wines. The Vins de Vienne or Tardieu-Laurent are pure négociants.

OTT over the top - excessive use of oak, or excess extraction etc

Passepartout go everywhere wine, literally. A versatile wine that is sufficiently well-fruited and bubbling with life to be drinkable with different people in different places, indoors out doors, whatever the season.

Passerillage Grapes used for sweet wines when they have started to dry and become low in juice and rich in sugar. Not to be confused with botrytis grapes, where rot, hopefully noble, is present.

Reduction The stinky, farmyard, or stewed fruit gums smell that particularly afflicts the Syrah and other varieties such as the Tannat if the wine is not exposed to oxygen during its vinification and raising. Solved by racking – the transfer from vat to vat. If a bottle smells like this, decant or double or even triple decant it.

Sous-bois The term to denote damp woods smells – the leaves rotting, an air of decomposing matter. Think autumn walks in woods after rainfall.

STGT Soil to Glass Transfer. This is Truth in your Glass. Wines that are very low on intervention, that reflect truthfully their place of origin. I get excited by these wines, since the grower is undoubtedly aware of the importance of terroir, and of his or her role in coaxing that out. Any STGT wine can never be a Show Pony. Try the 2005 Cornas Franck Balthazar, or the 2005 Côte-Rôtie Clusel-Roch, or the 2001 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine de la Charbonnière Vieilles Vignes red or the 1998 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Clos des Papes white. Lap up their sense of place.

Sympa abbreviation of sympathique, the French word for nice, likeable or agreeable. Sympa sounds a lot better than agreeable -n`est-ce pas??

Vaut le detour borrowed from Michelin. A wine worth seeking out, just the same as a good restaurant, bar, bistrot or hotel. Or anything or any person, or any - oh well, I`ll stop there.

Veraison when the grapes turn from green to red, and change colour, usually in early August or late July.

w.o.w. what one wants: wine that delivers easy pleasure, with no pretension. A good Côtes du Rhône, such as the Guigal 2005 red, or a 2006 Crozes-Hermitage Domaine Les Bruyères Cuvée Georges Reynaud, both of which contain abundant fruit and offer no frills satisfaction. Open these bottles, and get on with the simple art of enjoyment.