Acetaldehyde

Produced naturally during FERMENTATION, acetaldehyde is a colorless volatile component with a pungent ODOR. It is an asset in flor-based (see FLOR, Spanish Glossary) wines, such as Sherry, but a detectable amount in table wine is considered a flaw. Also occurs in coffee and ripe fruit.

In Bordeaux, a second wine is:

A. a wine that is classified between the First Growths and the Third Growths

B. a wine that is re-released several years after the initial release

C. a special, usually extremely expensive, wine produced by a château

D. a wine produced by a château that is less expensive than the château’s grand vin

To make the best possible wine (known as the grand vin), a top château will blend together only its very finest lots of wine from the most mature and well-sited vineyard plots. What happens to all the other wine? In many cases, the château makes a second wine, which will be less expensive and will have its own brand name and its own distinct label. (A second wine has nothing to do with a Second Growth). Some of the best known second wines include Carruades de Lafite-Rothschild (from Château Lafite-Rothschild), Château Haut-Bages-Averous (from Château Lynch-Bages), Le Petit Cheval (from Château Cheval Blanc), and Les Forts de Latour (from Château Latour).

Thin

Used to describe a wine lacking character and flavor, possibly because it was made from grapes produced at a very high yield. An extremely thin wine tastes watery.

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