What does "linear" mean in a tasting note?

[Robert.Fleming]

@Robert.Fleming

@john stimson

It’s a mildly perjorative term that basically means “boring”, much like a person with a linear personality–they are always talking about the same thing over and over again–there’s no complexity there.

I’ve never seen ‘linear’ used in a way that conveyed that to me.
But as this this thread has established in spades, ‘linear’ has too many possible meanings to have any clear meaning.

[chaad_thomas]

@Robert.Fleming

@john stimson

It’s a mildly perjorative term that basically means “boring”, much like a person with a linear personality–they are always talking about the same thing over and over again–there’s no complexity there.

I’ve never seen ‘linear’ used in a way that conveyed that to me.
But as this this thread has established in spades, ‘linear’ has too many possible meanings to have any one clear meaning.

I consider linear in that way, kind of one-dimensional, not nuanced, not detailed, and non-complex. Also a quick search of Wine Talk with term “linear” turns up several examples of that usage as well. I also think of linear as conveying an unwavering predictability, which can be boring, yeah.

Equally, however, are those who use it not so much to describe the overall character of a wine or how it delivers its flavors, but of a more specific feature, namely acidity. In this case, they use linear fairly synonymously with focused, so a wine with “drive” some would call linear. That’s fair, too.

Using it positively to refer to dense, tightly packed flavors is common, often in reference to young wines that have yet to evolve and deepen, so really, that’s the whole unidimensional, non-nuanced thing.

Usually what’s being communicated is pretty clear from the context, particularly if I’m wondering whether they’re using it in a positive or negative sense.

[Ally_O]

Perhaps we should be plotting wine experiences on a graph.

[Wes_Barton]

@Ally O.

Perhaps we should be plotting wine experiences on a graph.

Yes. A simple 2674 dimensional graph would do.

[john_stimson]

@Robert.Fleming

@john stimson

It’s a mildly perjorative term that basically means “boring”, much like a person with a linear personality–they are always talking about the same thing over and over again–there’s no complexity there.

I’ve never seen ‘linear’ used in a way that conveyed that to me.
But as this this thread has established in spades, ‘linear’ has too many possible meanings to have any one clear meaning.

Most often I’ve encountered it with Tanzer and Meadows. Typically it is used as follows “bright red fruits, yet somewhat linear on the palate” or some such statement. As such, it becomes a mildly perjorative term, which to me implies a lack of complexity. It is a little different in meaning, but somewhat analagous to “monolithic”, which, aside from meaning big, implies a vaguely perjorative, monotonic lack of complexity.

[Ken_V]

A wine f is linear if f(ax + by) = af(x) + bf(y) for any real constants a and b.

[Michae1_P0wers]

@john stimson

@Robert.Fleming

@john stimson

It’s a mildly perjorative term that basically means “boring”, much like a person with a linear personality–they are always talking about the same thing over and over again–there’s no complexity there.

I’ve never seen ‘linear’ used in a way that conveyed that to me.
But as this this thread has established in spades, ‘linear’ has too many possible meanings to have any one clear meaning.

Most often I’ve encountered it with Tanzer and Meadows. Typically it is used as follows “bright red fruits, yet somewhat linear on the palate” or some such statement. As such, it becomes a mildly perjorative term, which to me implies a lack of complexity. It is a little different in meaning, but somewhat analagous to “monolithic”, which, aside from meaning big, implies a vaguely perjorative, monotonic lack of complexity.

This seems somewhat disingenuous. I have seldom (if ever) seen this term used with a qualifier such as the “yet” applied here. If this was “typically” how the term was used then I suspect there’d be little enough disagreement as to it qualitative effect.

I have always thought of this as the positive users here describe, as driving and persistent coupled with good length. Interestingly I never considered it to mean one flavor throughout, as some obviously do, but rather to mean that flavors are clearly defined, each emerging cleanly and unmuddied from the last, as if following a clear, linear progression. So, another vote for the imprecision of language in this arena I guess.

[Ally_O]

@Ken V

A wine f is linear if f(ax + by) = af(x) + bf(y) for any real constants a and b.

Love it!

[Neal.Mollen]

Some say critics use it as a positive. Others say critics use it as a negative. How about when the same critic uses it as both? Or either.

This Zinfandel is still intact, but I found it to be streamlined, with hard tannins, and a > linear> , compact style that lacks fruit and charm.



[Winemaker] appears to be . . . producing bigger than life, bold, rich, but beautifully > linear > and precise wines.

[chaad_thomas]

@Neal.Mollen

Some say critics use it as a positive. Others say critics use it as a negative. How about when the same critic uses it as both? Or either.

This Zinfandel is still intact, but I found it to be streamlined, with hard tannins, and a > linear> , compact style that lacks fruit and charm.



[Winemaker] appears to be . . . producing bigger than life, bold, rich, but beautifully > linear > and precise wines.

See post #22

[Ken_V]

@Neal.Mollen

Some say critics use it as a positive. Others say critics use it as a negative. How about when the same critic uses it as both? Or either.

This Zinfandel is still intact, but I found it to be streamlined, with hard tannins, and a > linear> , compact style that lacks fruit and charm.



[Winemaker] appears to be . . . producing bigger than life, bold, rich, but beautifully > linear > and precise wines.

Anyone we know?

[john_stimson]

@Michael Powers

@john stimson

@Robert.Fleming

I’ve never seen ‘linear’ used in a way that conveyed that to me.
But as this this thread has established in spades, ‘linear’ has too many possible meanings to have any one clear meaning.

Most often I’ve encountered it with Tanzer and Meadows. Typically it is used as follows “bright red fruits, yet somewhat linear on the palate” or some such statement. As such, it becomes a mildly perjorative term, which to me implies a lack of complexity. It is a little different in meaning, but somewhat analagous to “monolithic”, which, aside from meaning big, implies a vaguely perjorative, monotonic lack of complexity.

This seems somewhat disingenuous. I have seldom (if ever) seen this term used with a qualifier such as the “yet” applied here. If this was “typically” how the term was used then I suspect there’d be little enough disagreement as to it qualitative effect.

I have always thought of this as the positive users here describe, as driving and persistent coupled with good length. Interestingly I never considered it to mean one flavor throughout, as some obviously do, but rather to mean that flavors are clearly defined, each emerging cleanly and unmuddied from the last, as if following a clear, linear progression. So, another vote for the imprecision of language in this arena I guess.

I guess I’ll have to admit that inherently the term is neither positive or negative, but simply descriptive. Context and attatched descriptors then help one know if the reviewer is praising or damning the wine. Eg. “wonderfully linear” vs “disappointingly linear”. Most often, I’m familiar with the faintly damning descriptors, but I guess if some free time show up, I’ll have to scan for examples.