FULL BODIED RED WINE

  

 FULL BODIED RED WINE

FULL BODIED RED WINE

The full-bodied reds are not for the faint-hearted. They fill your mouth with rich fruit and tannin, spice and oak, and the flavours and textures seem to linger long after they have been swallowed. Younger wines tend to be chewier and firmer; older ones are gentler and more mellow while retaining concentrated fruit and intensity.

FULL BODIED RED WINE

Poor ones are either too dilute and simply jammy or they are unbalanced - too much oak, too much tannin, too much sweetly ripe, 'in-yer-face' cassis flavour - and taste overwhelming. Watch out for wines that impress you on first taste, but which you wouldn't drink in any quantity. These are often referred to as 'show wines'; they win awards for their extra clout, but don't always make for enjoyable drinking.

FULL BODIED RED WINE

That said, if you generally prefer lighter reds, think twice before writing off richer, more full-bodied wines. Like so many styles, but perhaps even more so in this case, they should be aacked open at exactly the right moment to be appreciated fully, not brought out on every occasion. For example, blockbuster reds do not moke great party wines.

They are neither soft nor mellow enough to slip down without food; that big-framed tannic structure may only make sense with a forkful of a rare steak. Similarly, they do not suit hot weather, or outdoor wining and dining. Although they might match a barbecued meat fest, their high alcohol and richness can be a quick route to a headache. Stick to medium or light styles of red on a picnic or at a party.

FULL BODIED RED WINE

So, bring out the heavyweights only to partner robust winter dishes: peppery stews, roast red meats, fine cheeseboards and rich vegetarian bakes. Used carefully, these can be the ultimate comfort wines: soothing, heart-warming, contentment-enducing. Some of them age well, too, so cellar-owners should take careful note of what follows. The big reds are like all hefty and daunting things in life: potentially overwhelming but wonderful when handled correctly.

APPEARANCE OF FULL BODIED RED WINE

Dark red, ranging from a port-like, concentrated garnet to brighter, richly purple and even damson-black. Most look intense, dense in colour if you hold a glassful up to the light. Younger wines tend to be a more bluey- purple; older ones are mahogany-brown.

TEXTURE OF FULL BODIED RED WINE 

Tannin - the substance that gives wine a lot of rich body and structure, and an almost 'chewy' mouth feel, like sucking on a wooden pencil - can feature heavily here,

especially in younger bottles. Other wines have a more rounded quality, but retain that rich weightiness in the mouth.

AROMA OF FULL BODIED RED WINE 

The fruit aromas tend to be blackcurrant and blackberry,

sometimes very pungent, like a whiff of creme de cassis. Hints of toffee, spice, black pepper, eucalyptus, treacle, tar, liquorice and mint sometimes feature. Very oaky winess have a strong vanilla character, even sawdust-like on the nose.

FLAVOR  OF FULL BODIED RED WINE

Fruit flavours include an intense blackcurrant akin to black fruit

gums - also briar fruits, brambles, and raspberries in certain wines. Look out, too, for a twist of spice (cloves, cinnamon) and especially black pepper on the finish, chocolate, spicy vanillins and chewy tannins, too. Older wines have a leather or suede character.