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Wine dictionary

Our dictionary offers a few wine related words to give you the vocabulary needed to express and share your impressions of taste and smell around a wine. It is not intended to be exhaustive - in that case it would be an entire book. .... 


Aggressive
  It said about young wines, that have not yet become sufficiently mellow. You can also say "austere". 

  
Amer 
  Rude and unpleasant taste. 

  
Ample
  Rich in flavour and colour, high in rates of alcohol. 

  
Astringent
  Too tannic, angular, thick, leaves an impression of dry mouth, "râpeuse". 

  
Aromatique
  Aromas are very present, especially those of grape or fermentation. It is also said about a wine with a bouquet that it has a "nose" or "penetrating". 

  
Advanced or changed
  Wine that has evolved faster than expected, or that has exceeded its peak. 

  
  

Boisé
  Wine that smells of oak or wood, provided by a farm in oak casks.

 
 
Bouchonné 
  Wine is destroyed due to "cork taint",  or moldy cork residue chlorinated substances.

 
 
Bouquet (has a…)
  Wine with substances that have developed during ageing. For young wines, the term aromas apply. 

  
  


Charpenté
  Well balanced. When you want to add a touch of nobility, they will say it is "distinguished" or "elegant".

 
 
Hot, heady
  Rich in alcohol. It is also said that a wine rich in alcohol and tannin has a body that is "strong", "fleshy", "farm". 

  

Corsé
  Wine with both body and high level of alcohol. 

  
  
"Court" (Short) in the mouth 
  Means that the wine leaves no particular sensation (scents, flavors, rounded…) after having left the mouth cavity.

 
 
Cuvé
  The wine has stayed too long in tanks and become astringent or green. It does not necessarily get better with aging… 

  
  


Dense 
  Nice color, rich flavors, concentrated in density of the fluid - does not look "watery". 

  
  


Elegant 
  Wine with a harmony of all the mentioned elements.

 
 
Epicé (Spicy) 
  Contains smells and scents of spices such as cinnamon, pepper, cloves…

 
 
Balanced 
  Wine that provides a balance between alcohol, acidity and tannins - harmony. 

  
  

Fee
  Vivid and energetic, simple and pleasant (usually a young wine). Applies to wines (mainly white) that are "guilleret." 

  
  

Generous
  Rich in alcohol.

 
 
Gouleyant 
  Flexible wine, light to drink is and easily consumed.

 
 
Gras 
  Fatty, smooth (for a sweet wine). 

  
  
Slight
  Short of alcohol, easy to drink but without much pleasure.

 
 
Long in the mouth
  The flavors stays in the mouth, sometimes tens of seconds after drinking the wine. Appears often with grand crus. 

  
 
Heavy 
  Too much alcohol, unbalanced. 

  
  
Moelleux 
  Smooth wine, giving a sensation of velvet in the mouth.

 
 
Mou, flat 
  Lacking acidity and freshness. 

  
  
Nervous (=vivid, energetic) 
  Fresh and refreshing, with character. 

  
  
Parfumé, odorant 
  A flowery bouquet or aroma.

 
 
Piquant 
  Stingy, usually referred to when a taste of vinegar develops (bacterial degradation of the wine).

 
 
Full
  Rich in alcohol, balanced and well-bodied. 


  
 
Robe
  Qualifies the color of the wine, both in its nuance, its brightness and clarity.

 
 
Robust
  Vigorous and solid (expresses a red wine).

 
 
Rond (Round) 
  Rich in alcohol, frank, fair, expressing a feeling of volume in the mouth. 

  
  
Sec (Dry) 
  No trace of sugar.

 
 
Severe
  Tannic wine, but lacks mellow or boldness.

 
 
Flexible
  Pleasant, well-balanced and low in acidity.

 
 
Sub-wood 
  Smells of earth and sometimes of wet mushrooms. 

  
  
Tannique (Tannic) 
  Rich in tannin, a substance from the wood of the barrel or round-ups of grapes. The presence of tannin in red wine determines its ability to age well.

 
 
Tuilé
  It said about red wines with nuances of orange (old wine). 

  
  

Végétal 
  Has a smell of freshly cut grass, crushed fern or even asparagus. (Often pejorative)

 
 
Green
  Young and bitter, usually from grapes that were not ripe.

 
 
Velouté
  Very fine and soft,  easy to feel its fragrance and pleasant taste. 

  
 
Vif 
  Young with a stimulating acidity, pleasing the palate. It is also said about acidic wines that lack maturity.

 
 
Vigorous
  Rustique, with a smell of soil (such as Graves, for example).

 
 
Vineux
  Rich in alcohol, the taste and smell are very strong and profound.