Vocabulary related to the French wines





			Acerbe, tart, sour, bitter, sharp: wine containing a high level of natural grape acids. Acre, harsh, acrid, pungent: tannic wine and/or wine that contains little residual sugar. The tannin is a group of organic products that come essentially from the skin and the seeds of the grape. It gives a bitter taste. Aimable, pleasant: soft wine with residual sugar. Alcool, alcohol: the wine-yeasts act to convert sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. This occurs during fermentation, which is transformation of the must into wine. Amer, bitter: too much tannin, little harmony, not necessary a criterion of bad quality. Année de cru, vintage year: very good year. Apre, harsh, rough on the palate: young wine that contains tannin. Astringent, full of tannin: a criterion of good maturation for a young wine. Blanc de blancs, white wine obtained from a white grape variety. Bouquet, olfactory sensation produced by the flower and fruit aromas given off by the wine. The primary bouquet is that of the fruit. The secondary bouquet is due to the action of the yeast during fermentation. Bourru, rough: applied to young white wines still containing sediment and incompletely fermented. Brut, very dry champagne or sparkling wine. Capiteux, heady: warm and rich in alcohol. Cépage, grape variety. Chambré, to bring the wine to room temperature ( 16° in summer, 18° in winter). Charnu, fleshy, meaty, robust, full. Charpenté, well-made, harmonious, balanced. Clairet, ligh-red wines, produced by a special method. To be drunk immediately, poor in tannin. Climat, climate: see "cru". Commun, common: with no breeding, unworthy of a great wine. Complet, complete: balanced, its characteristics combined into a harmonious whole. Corps, body: a wine with "body" seems to be consistent, heavy. It is rich in alcohol and extract. It can be a quality for some wines ( burgundy wines ) and a flaw in others (Moselle, Chablis ). Corsé, full-bodied, robust, rich in alcohol. Coulant, smooth, supple, flatters the palate. Court, short: short-lived flavour, with a short finish. Cru, vineyard that gives remarkable vintages - by ext.: a quality wine. Cuvée, special reserve: Burgundian term indicating the quality of wine produced by a well-defined parcel. Dégoût, ill-flavored: bad taste of a wine. Dépôt, sediment, deposit: particles, which after fermentation in vat or after bottling, rush to the bottom of the bottle. It's a quality sign for the old red wines and port. Dépouillé, stripped: applied to very old wines which have lost most of their colour and body, but also clear wine without sediment. Distingué, refined: having all the refinement and virtues of its breed. Doré, golden colour: colour of white wines and dessert wines of great value. Doux, sweet: still contains the natural sugars of the grape. Epicé, spicy: has a special aroma and taste. Equilibré, well-balanced: see "complet". Etoffé, ample: full and silky. Fade, insipid: tasteless, applied to wines that have little alcohol. Fin, elegant, distinguished, superior. Finage, see "cru". Fleuri, "in bloom": wine whose bouquet is reminiscent of flowers. Frais, fresh: a wine that has preserved the fruit flavour and other good qualities of a young wine. Franc de goût, straightforward and without off tastes. Frappé, iced/chilled: wine which is served cool. Friand, fresh, fruity, pleasant tasting. Applied especially to young wines. Fruité, fruity: having a bouquet and flavour which retain the taste of the grape, and perhaps also the taste of apple, or peach. Généreux, generous: fairly rich in alcohol. Gouleyant, gulpable: easy to drink, smooth, fresh, pleasant. Goût de bouchon, corky taste: bad flavour due to a bad cork. Goût de fût, "barrel taste": wine which was preserved in a bad barrel. Goût de pierre à fusil, "gun flint taste": flavour reminiscent of flint, as from a lighter, especially for wines coming from stony ground. Goût de rancio, rancio taste, sweet: acquired by ageing through maderization (ex: Sherry). Goût de terroir, "home ground": a wine is said to have "un goût de terroir" when it has the taste reminiscent of the piece of land from which it grew. Difficult to describe but easy to recognize. Grain, grain: delicacy, elegance. Gras, rich and full-bodied. Grossier, coarse, rough: wholesome but not very harmonious. Léger, light: having little body. Lourd, heavy: full-bodied, alcoholic, not very distinguished. Madérisé, maderized: wine (particularly white and rosé) that is a bit oxidized, whose taste of Madeira is very characteristic. Maigre, thin: lacking body, deficient in alcohol. Millésime, vintage: year of a wine's harvest and production. Moelleux, mellow: luscious, velvety, well rounded. Mou, flabby: dull, without body, lacking acidity. Nerveux, nervous: lively, firm, and vigorous. Noble, distinguished, well-balanced: applied to grape varieties and wines that have a natural and consistent superiority. Paillé, straw-coloured. Pâteux, pasty: heavy wines, rich in alcohol, robust. Perlant, slightly sparking. Petit vin, "little wine": lacks body and character, but can still be a pleasant wine. Piquant, tart/prickly: fresh white wine, bitter but nice. Plat, flat: without body, taste, or vivacity. Plein, full: rich in alcohol and extract. Prêt, "ready": maturation is complete, ripe, ready to drink. Primeur, wine that develops very quickly and can be drunk young. Puissant, rich in alcohol, "corsé", silky. Rassis, stale: ripe, complete. Robe, "dress", colour. Wine is said to have "robe" when it has a good quality and depth of colour. Rond, round: full, robust, meaty, and very supple. Rude, rough. Sain, wholesome, straightforward. Sec, dry: applied to red wines, it indicates a loss of mellowness, and very often, bouquet. Souple, supple: smooth, without bitterness or astringency. Taché, spotted: wine that becomes rosé after preservation in a barrel that previously contained red wine. Tuilé, tiled: applied to old red wines that are losing their colour. Usé, worn out: a wine that has lost its good qualities, either from badly-managed wine-making, or from having been too long in the bottle. Velouté, velvety: very smooth. Vert, "green": too young and acidic, wine that comes from unripe grapes. Vif, "lively": young wines that have vigour, bite, and a certain acidity. Vins jaunes, "yellow wines": amber-coloured wines from the French Jura. Vin nouveau, "new wine": wine from the latest vintage. Vin de paille, "straw wine": wine extracted from grapes dried on mats. A smooth wine, rich in alcohol.