Elegance often conjures up thoughts of fashion, style and design. Red carpets more than cabernet, and famous people over Fiano. But this term has become absolutely entrenched in the language of wine, despite just how subjective it is. So what is elegance in wine? In this wine, terms explained we dive into this very confusing wine term.
Elegance in wine, or elegant, is a word used a lot in wine descriptions. It’s a very common descriptor. But when you start to look into what it actually means, you realize just how vague it is. Everyone seems to have their own definition of this term, and it is used commonly out of context. This makes it a seriously confusing term to understand when every wine critic seems to have their own definition. How are we wine consumers meant to know if a wine truly is elegant?
What is elegance in wine?
Google ‘elegance in wine’ and you’ll get about 100 different answers. It seems like no one can agree on what elegance in wine is. And I think that largely comes down to it being very subjective. This means that everyone has their own interpretation of this wine term, making it very confusing. Although I guess when you think about it, elegance as a term is subjective: What you think is elegant might be different to what the next person thinks.
After researching this wine term, there seems to be some relative consistency in a couple of concepts that make a wine elegant. The first and foremost is balance (learn more about this term here). An elegant wine needs to have the right balance between mouthfeel and intensity. They are refined and restrained and don’t have tannins overpowering any more delicate notes.
This means that an elegant wine can sometimes take time to develop. When it is first released, the wine might be a little off balance but over time it will get better as those notes balance out and the wine essentially softens. This means that a bold and tannic wine can still be elegant if the tannins are finely integrated and balanced, which often comes with age.
So in simplified terms: Elegance in wine means the wine is balanced, precise and restrained. It is something that winemakers strive to achieve when producing wines, but that can be difficult to master.
Where you’ll find elegance in wine
Typically wines that show restraint and elegance are sought after by wine consumers. But how do you know if a wine is elegant or not if you can’t necessarily trust the tasting notes?
Unfortunately, no one can pinpoint where elegance comes from. You can’t predict it in the soil or the grapes, and a winemaker can’t make it happen. If they were to overripen the grapes, do too much in the winemaking process or over-oak the wine, it would be lost.
So elegance can’t be found in one wine variety, or reliably across vintages. It is something you can seek out, but in the end, it is a quiet beauty. You are more likely to stumble across it while tasting wine, rather than being able to reliably find it from tasting notes. And when you do find it, enjoy it!