BALANCED.
A wine which presents a harmonious set of characteristics without any one of them overpowering another.
BALTHAZAR.
A bottle which is larger than the normal size, which can hold an equivalent of 12 to 16 normal bottles.
BARREL.
Wooden container which is used to age the wines. The Bordeaux barrel (225 litres) is highly appreciated for the ageing of great wines. It is composed of staves - wooden slats-, generally of oak wood, held together by metallic hoops and two ends.
BARREL NUMBER.
Term without meaning which is sometimes used to designate special wines, but which often tends to designate mediocre wines.
BICUITY.
Said of a wine which presents an aroma between sweet and toasty in which there appears hints of vanilla and caramelised sugar, similar to that perceived in recently baked biscuits. It usually occurs in wines which have had a long period of ageing in oak barrels.
BITING.
Aromatic characteristic which stands out and which is produced by the alcoholic, woody or “flor” components of “fino” wines.
BITTER.
Quality which is produced in a wine by the presence of tannins or grape stalks. If it dominates the flavour or the aftertaste of the wine, it is considered a defect. The bitterness is perceived at the tip of the tongue.
“BLANC DE BLANCS”.
"White from white", this designates a white (sparkling) wine produced from black or white grapes, as in the case of Champagne, which is made with Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier. The juice of the grapes is extracted and is left to ferment without any contact with the skins. These wines may have a slight pinkish colour.
BLENDING.
Mixture of different vintages, musts or wines. It may be of the same season or of other years.
BODY.
Sensation of consistency or completeness which a wine produces on the palate.
BOTRYTIS CINEREA.
. Name of a beneficial mould or fungus which attacks the grapes under certain climatic conditions and makes them dry up, concentrating the flavours, the sugar and the acid. This process is called “noble rot”.
BODY.
Sensation of consistency or completeness which a wine produces on the palate.
BOTRYTIS CINEREA.
Name of a beneficial mould or fungus which attacks the grapes under certain climatic conditions and makes them dry up, concentrating the flavours, the sugar and the acid. This process is called “noble rot”.
BOTTLED BY.
Means that the wine could have been bought already fabricated and simply bottled by the owner of the brand or that the wine has been produced under contract by another winery.
BOTTLE SICKNESS.
Temporary circumstance characterised by weak or unconnected fruity flavours. It usually occurs just after bottling or when the wines - normally fragile - are moved while being transferred. It is also known as “bottle shock”. It is treated with a few days of rest.
“BOUCHONNÉ”.
Describes a wine which has an unpleasant smell and flavour of mould and humidity, together with a dry aftertaste, caused by the contamination of the cork.
BOUQUET.
Aroma which a wine develops after being bottled and aged, at its optimum point of development. It can be noted in mature wines which have developed complex flavours beyond the young aromas of fruit or oak.
BRIGHT.
Describes the appearance of very clear wines with an absolute lack of visible particles in suspension. It is not always a positive quality, as it may indicate that a wine has been excessively filtered.
BRUT.
Champagne or sparkling wine that is very dry. A highly appreciated characteristic in cavas. Depending on the sugar content, it may be: “brut zero”, “brut salvaje”, “brut absoluto” or “brut nature”.
BULK PROCESS.
Sparkling wines produced in large quantities. It indicates that the wines ferment in large stainless steel tanks and are then bottled under pressure.
BUTTER.
Noble aroma which can be detected in quality wines, especially if they have undergone malolactic fermentation.
BUTTERY.
Indicates the smell of melted butter or toasty oak. It may also be applied to the texture, as in the expression “ a rich, buttery Chardonnay”.
BURNING.
Wines with a high alcohol content, little balance and which tend to burn in the aftertaste are called burning. This is generally a negative characteristic, although it is considered acceptable in the Oporto wines and similar ones.