Least useful tasting note term to you?

WINE TALK
21

better

22

“garrigue”…I’ve never been to the Mediterranean, so it doesn’t help me

23

tour de force

24

“Ruby Red,” which has been used to describe everything from a rose to a clubbing Cal cab. Absolutely useless color descriptor. And most often egregiously used by S. Tanzer.

Other one is shit you can’t eat. E.g., lead pencil, crushed rock, stone, earth, etc. And don’t tell me you licked a rock or sucked on a pencil when you were five and somehow remember that taste, and for that matter, wouldn’t different rocks provide different licks? I think folks who describe wine need to use descriptors that are real not fantastic or magical. If you can’t describe a wine with tastes that you’ve tasted, don’t go off the ranch to describe things as you might imagine them…my imagined crushed rock smoothie might be different than yours.

25

Barry - have you ever had a drink of water from a rocky/stony brook or river? There are trace minerals in there that you can taste - I’m assuming when I hear about rocks or stones that this is what is being described.

26

TN: 2007 Chateau de Troi: This is a wine that was modern in style, with plenty of funk and pain grille, that was a true tour de force. Yummy!

27

Great thread [cheers.gif]

Lip-smacking and tooth-staining drive me crazy; hedonistic suffices

On second thought, maybe they’re the most useful…

28

Barry: pencil lead? I don’t find it in wine much but as recently as yesterday I used my teeth to sharpen a pencil at the golf course. Pencil lead is a very clear taste in my mind. Earth also. Its magical shit like Guatemalan one eyed fermented coffee beans that I have a problem with.

29

“wet molten rocks” … don’t see it much, but I’ll never forget that as the most useless tasting note descriptor ever. Really, anything that has zero meaning, even in a relational sense … molten rocks can’t be soaked with water, so it has no relation to anything that actually exists. I like notes that keep things pretty straightforward and broad brush – fruit in spectrums like red or black, etc. I know I’m guilty sometimes of straying, but I try.

30

So very true.

“Cassis” is over used, IMO, and I’ve never been a fan of “austere” even though it has its purpose, I guess.

With the exception of my cats, right, Bud? Rudy and Pi loved it when you and Margaret spent the weekend with us a few years ago. grouphug

31

You’re right. However, I’m highly allergic to MOST cats. Perhaps Rudy and Pi are more austere!!! [wow.gif] [cheers.gif]

32

flirtysmile

33

A hypothetical blend of X and Y, especially when I’ve never had X, Y, or X and Y mixed together.

34

Sorry, but lead pencil perfectly describes the notes I find in several wines from Bordeaux.

A freshly sharpened pencil will give the aroma as will, yes, sucking on a pencil.

My least favorite notes are the ones that give a numerical score, then the writer goes on to describe a wine that is corked finishing with the phrase, “this may be flawed?” If you think the wine was flawed, why give it a score?

I do have in my mind an understanding of “funk” and I think people confuse it with Brett.

Sometimes a little wine knowledge can go too far – I think people often cite Brett when it’s just good old “funk.”

Same with minerality. I have a hard time believing people don’t have any idea what minerality means.

Never drank mineral water?

One term I’ve seen recently from a professional writer is, “skyscraper texture.”

Huh? Does that mean tall? Smooth like glass? On the other hand, I get it, the writer liked the texture and it reminds him of something else that is awe inspiring.

In my opinion, there are virtually zero tasting notes that make any sense unless you grant the writer poetic license and read between the lines.

35

For me, that right up there with “burning embers” although there is a place in Hawaii where the molten rock hits the water (I guess you could argue the molten rock only ever touches super-heated steam). Anyway, it’s not something you’d put in your mouth …and the whole place just reeks of sulfur.

36

Burning embers, charcoal, BBQ smoke – in my experience, all of these notes come from oak that has been heavily toasted.

37

We have a winner!!! [welldone.gif]

38

“wet molten rocks”

That one gets my vote as the funniest, but if I read that as a descriptor, it could be very useful as I would steer very clear of a wine with notes of molten anything, whether you could manage to get it wet or not.

I’ve also seen references to “warm stone.”

These both sound like someone is trying to describe a wine with a hot finish.

39

What is it about the French?

Origin of the word Pretension: French prétentieux, from prétention pretension
Origin of the word Poseur: French, literally, poser, from poser

40

I know of whom you speak…