For me it’s white wines that have a grippy texture on the palate (in addition to freshness and acidity - it probably wouldn’t interest me otherwise). Raveneau is my classic example. I’m not sure if this is actually tannin or something else.
That’s right up there with me too, David . I am not sure that I have a favorite wine characteristic in the sense of the examples. I enjoy having a wine with multiple characteristics that are pleasant, diverse, complex, and play well together. I especially enjoy wines which add some intriguingly elusive taste to the mix which makes me want to have another taste and ponder a bit.
Off the top of my head:
The decaying leaves/forest floor/mushroom notes of an aged burg
The cigar box/pencil shaving/leather of a Left bank
The honey, almond nuttiness of an aged Sauternes
I really love aged wines which have retained good fruitiness but the fruitiness is somewhat muted and the wine displays an elegance you don’t see in younger bottles.
Balance…fruit and acid, secondary and tertiary notes of earth and fruit, tannin and fruit. Balance is so difficult to describe, but impossible to overlook.