Fine wines come in all colours and styles. From Bordeaux to Argentina, from Burgundy to the Barossa, Sussex to South Africa, you can now choose fine wines from all over the world. But what is it that sets these wines apart? What makes them ‘fine’?
The Type of Fine Wine matters
Wine lovers often define fine wines by their higher price. Critics, on the other hand, do so by comparing them to their peers, while winemakers differentiate them on the basis of quality or the amount of effort it takes to produce them. For example, a Rioja producer is likely to deem their Gran Reserva as finer than their Crianza as they can see the grapes that went into it are of superior quality and can stand up to the extended time in barrel and bottle that these wines are legally required to have.
While everything in wine comes down to personal taste, Master Sommelier Laurent Derhe believes there are three criteria a wine needs to meet to be deemed fine. Whether a wine is white, red, rosé, dry or sweet, sparkling or still, from the old world or the new world, the following three things define a fine wine:
1. Aroma – a fine wine must have a complex aroma. The make-up of the aroma will obviously depend on the grape, where the wine was made and whether it’s been aged in wood, but it should always have an intricate aroma. An Alsatian Gewürztraminer will have a bolder aroma than a high-altitude, unoaked South African Chardonnay, but both should display an engaging level of complexity.
2. Balance – wine, like life, is all about balance. Irrespective of what it’s made from or where, a fine wine should always have a great balance. It should have enough fruit, but not so much that the subtler, savoury notes are drowned out. It should have sufficient acidity to cleanse the palate and make it taste fresh, but not so much that it’s like drinking grapefruit juice. It should also have sufficient structure – including tannins in the case of red wines – to give the wine the right mouthfeel, but this shouldn’t be intrusive.
3. Length – you’ll often see the word ‘length’ in tasting notes. It has nothing to do with the physical dimensions of the wine, but rather how long you can taste it for after you’ve swallowed it. The longer the length, the greater the perceived quality. If you can still taste a wine 10 seconds after you’ve swallowed, that’s a good sign. If, on the other hand, the flavour fades before you’ve had time to put your glass down, that’s a negative.
It's arguable that for certain styles of wine other elements will also come into play. You’d expect a fine red Bordeaux to have the ability to age. A vintage Champagne should have incredibly fine bubbles, or ‘bead’. And a bottle of sweet wine shouldn’t just be lusciously sweet, it should also be fresh and cleanse the palate. However, we agree with Laurent that a fine wine should have a beautiful aroma, perfect balance, and a lovely long length. That’s certainly what characterises the wines on our fine wine list.
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You may also be interested in reading our more in-depth red wine guide, white wine guide and sparkling wine guide.