A tasting term, specific elements in the soil and grapes, and even geological elements and rock types; the term minerality in the context of wine has taken up a rather broad usage. Robert and Peter explore a bit of the science, the use of the term as a tasting descriptor, and how the industry has used minerality as a sales tool. Listen to grasp a hold on how the term is used and what it is used for.
Detailed show notes:
- Minerality as a wine term started in the 1980s
- A tasting term - related to flint, matchstick, chalk, saline characters
- Mineral elements - e.g. - potassium, phosphorus, calcium, etc…
- Geologic elements - e.g. - quartz, limestone, etc…
- As a style of wine
- Minerality is like a macro tasting term, like “fruity”
- Can have sub-elements to the category, e.g. - reduction/sulfur related compounds, stone related, saline / salty related
- As a flavor, it is not from the actual minerals in the rocks in the soil
- Minerality could be a positive term for the absence of fruity and floral flavors in a wine
- It comes from a combination of terroir and winemaking
- Wines generally associated with minerality
- Whites: Chablis, Sauv Blanc (e.g. - Sancerre), Gruner Veltliner, Alvarinho, Chenin Blanc, Rieslings, Assyrtiko
- Reds: Pinot Noir, Cab Franc
- Using minerality as a sales tool
- Some wineries have labels that specify rocks/soil types
- E.g. - Didier Dagueneau’s Silex; Mullineux’s Schist, Granite, Iron; Dr. Loosen’s Blue / Red Slate Rieslings
- But, these wines may not necessarily be referring to minerality in the wines
- Sommeliers and restaurants tend to enjoy minerally wines and may have sections on their wine lists for them
- Retail stores that are organized by wine style do not yet use the term, but may in the future
- Randall Graham of Bonny Doon experimented with infusing rocks into wine, but that led to higher levels of other trace materials and was shut down by the government
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