How would you describe the wine, ladies? And please don’t say “angular”
I stumbled across an interesting chart recently of a breakdown of Bordeaux Left Bank red wines. It basically gave a general description of the wines by vintage, from 1995-2013. I was eager to read it and compare what I found to Ponte’s 2012 Angry Wife Red, a wine modeled after red wines from the Left Bank of Bordeaux. What I found, instead, was a slew of descriptions that I couldn’t make rhyme or reason out of.
Ponte’s Angry Wife Wines
Angular? Taut? Racy? Harmonious? Umm…is this good or bad?
All I know is The Angry Wife Red tastes like black raspberry, baking spices, mint and white pepper. Easy enough.
All I can do now is guess what these strange descriptions mean. Bear with me…
“Angular”
My interpretation: Sharp, as in sour or maybe even deadly. Take a sip and cringe because anything that has angles is sharp and can stab you and make you cringe, or worse, die.
True interpretation: Lacks roundness, generosity and depth. Wine from poor vintages or wines that are too acidic are often described as being angular. Source
“Taut”
My interpretation: Makes your throat close up. Isn’t “taut” synonymous with “tight”? A taut wine isn’t pleasant, in fact, one sip and your throat refuses to open back up for another taste.
True interpretation: A wine that is not soft and full and may be relatively high in acidity. It can indicate that the wine is still too young for drinking. Source
“Racy”
My interpretation: Obscene, makes you blush. This wine is so good you’ll want to drink it all and then, well…maybe…get a room (at Ponte Vineyard Inn, of course.)
True interpretation: A racy wine has lively acidity. It’s not thick or heavy, it’s juicy and light. Source
“Harmonious”
My interpretation: “This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius, the age of Aquariuuuuus!” All is right with the world when you drink a wine like this! It’s perfect, heavenly, and downright wonderful.
True interpretation: A harmonious wine has all of its flavors seamlessly integrated. It’s a sign of very good winemaking.
Hmm, well, I guess I came close on the last one?
At Ponte, we try to stay away from racy, taut angles but if our wines taste like raspberries and peaches, we’ll let you know! It’s not about what we think, anyway. If you like it, then it’s good wine.
All that matters is if you like the wine, “taut” or not.
Try our Left Bank-styled wine, The Angry Wife Red. Order here.
–Erica Martinez
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