A Question of Balance

You like wine, but aren’t sure what to look for or wonder how to tell a good wine from a mediocre one. As with anything else in life, the key is balance. There are four key elements that contribute to taste in wine: acid, alcohol, fruit, and tannin. When all of these elements are in harmony, no one element stands out; each blends seamlessly with the others, leaving the wine tasting smooth and elegant. Let’s explore these elements.

Acid. It’s no secret wines contain acid, some more than others, based on the choice of grape used. High acid wines lacking balance get your attention immediately; the acidity burns your mouth and tastes sour or tart. Nevertheless, acidity is good; it increases saliva, readies your palate for food, and makes wine a wonderful food complement.
White wines contain higher levels of acidity than reds. In both, acidity must be nicely integrated with all other elements. Good winemakers strive to balance acidity with fruit to craft quality wines. Sauvignon blancs tend to have higher levels of acidity. For a perfectly balanced Loire Valley Sancerre, I was amazed by a 2006 Domaine Cherrier ($23) at Wolfgang Puck’s Postrio in Las Vegas.

Alcohol. As grapes ripen, sugar levels increase. Fermentation creates wine as yeasts convert sugar into alcohol. The more sugar in the grape must, the higher the percentage of alcohol in the resulting wine. Alcohol levels also vary by grapes, with Rieslings weighing in at lower levels (8% to 10%) and Zinfandels coming in at 14% to 17%. Formerly averaging 12% to 12.5% alcohol, now global warming is elevating levels to 13.5% or more.

However, it isn’t the level that matters as much as whether the alcohol level is harmonious with a wine’s fruit and structural elements. Alcohol balanced with all other elements doesn’t call attention to itself. Conversely, too much alcohol creates a burning sensation in the mouth and throat. Quality wines never provide a burning sensation due to their finesse and balance.
I recently opened a 2003 La Garrigue ($16) from Domaine la Casenove in Roussillon. Smooth and delicious, it was a masterfully balanced wine. Amazingly, its alcohol is 14.5%, but you’d never know it.

High alcohol also presents another dilemma. Wine is meant to be consumed with food. Classic European wines are food friendly due to their historically lower (12% to 12.5%) alcohol and balance. As alcohol rises, wine’s food friendliness decreases. High alcohol wines overwhelm most foods, making them an unsuitable match for dining.

Fruit. Wine varies from subtle to vibrant in terms of the intensity of its fruit flavor. Rich, ripe fruit adds both complexity and texture to wine and contributes to the wine’s character. The same balance principle applies: fruit flavor and intensity should not dominate the wine.
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Hawk Crest Cabernet Sauvignon ($10) offers a nicely balanced wine at value pricing. No wonder, it’s made by one of America’s best winemakers.

Tannin. Ever tasted a red wine that made your mouth feel astringent and dry? Or, have you experienced the harsh, mouth-puckering bitterness of a strong cup of tea? That’s the effect of tannin, a component of many, but not all, red wines. While good quality cabernet sauvignons can be highly tannic when young, other red grapes (think pinot noir) contain negligible amounts of tannin.

Tannin is important to the aging of wine; it provides structure and preserves the wine as it ages. Tannin must be balanced with fruit, however. A wine with lots of vibrant, ripe fruit, as New World wines often contain, can compensate for higher levels of tannin, making the wine softer and easier to drink young. Because tannin comes largely from the grape skins that provide red wines their color, white wines do not contain tannin.
With time in bottle, tannins ripen and become polished. Until then, tannin can be high in a young wine and it’s perceived as bitter. Techniques for reducing the impact of tannin are aging the wine, decanting it for an hour or more prior to serving it, and serving it with high protein foods, such as steak, which cut the tannin.

For another wonderful example of balance, try Chapoutier’s 2006 Petite Ruche Rouge ($25) unoaked Croze Hermitage. It’s awesome.

Make balance a key principle of your life. But remember, balance is subjective due to individual taste thresholds and perceptions of wine.

Enjoy.