Have you ever had a wine that is described as dense? It may seem like a weird term to use in a wine description, but it is something used to describe wines here and there. Wine terms like this can seem confusing when you don’t know what they actually mean. Especially a word like dense – is the wine thick? Or heavy? In this article, we’ll dive into the question: what is a dense wine?
In Wine Terms Explained, I unpack some of the weird wine terms used to describe wine. There are some truly odd ones out there, and sometimes it can be hard to know what the tasting notes even mean. These guides break down the wine terms so that you can get back to enjoying wine!
What is a dense wine?
When asking what is a dense wine, it can be difficult to get a straight answer on if it is a good or bad thing. So I think like most wine terms, it comes down to personal preference. But it is partially because Dense can mean a few different things.
Dense can describe aromas, flavours and also fullness in wine. It can be used to describe a wine with concentrated aromas on the nose and palate, which can be a good thing in young wines as it means the wine has the potential to “open up”. But this can also be perceived negatively as the wine hasn’t opened.
Dense can also mean bold and heavy wines, but these kinds of wines usually have concentrated flavours too. So really the two tend to go hand in hand. Whether or not they are a good thing usually depends on the type of wine you’re drinking. If it is meant to be a bold and intense wine, then it is spot on. But if it isn’t, perhaps this term can be used to negatively describe the wine.
Where you’ll find a dense wine
Dense wines can be found in a number of places but largely come down to how concentrated the aromas are. This quality is usually seen as favourable in young wines, so if you are trying something with not much age on it with concentrated flavours, this term could be useful.
Otherwise, look for your bold red wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and some bolder Italian varieties. Just keep in mind that dense isn’t always a good thing – if it is found in a wine that isn’t meant to be bold, it can be used as a negative term.
In summary: what is a dense wine?
Whether it is good or bad, dense wine is a term you may see around. And now you know what it means, you can make a decision about whether you will like the wine or not. If you love wines that are bold and concentrated, make sure you seek out dense wines!