CARAMELISED.
A smell of burnt caramel which can be noted in wines of great maturity. It is also applied to dense wines with a sweet and toasty taste for having matured in barrels of “oloroso”.
CARBONATED WINE.
Low quality sparkling wine, with gas added industrially.
CARBONIC MACERATION.
This is a production technique in red wines in which the whole grape undergoes an enzymatic intracellular fermentation. It is used in order to obtain smooth and aromatic young wines.
CART.
To transport the grapes from the vineyard to the winery for their vinification.
CAVA.
High quality Spanish sparkling wine, produced using the “Champenoise” method, with its second fermentation taking place in the same bottle in which it reaches the consumer.
CEDAR.
Aroma, fairly perfumed, of this soft wood. It is very common in Morocco.
CELLAR.
Underground storage area for ageing wines.
“CHACOLI”.
Light and acidic wine made from grapes which have not ripened sufficiently. It has an alcoholic content of 9 degrees and comes from the País Vasco (Basque Country).
CHAPTALISATION.
Addition of sugar to the must before and/or during the fermentation in order to increase the sugar level of unripe grapes and the alcohol level of the wines made from them. It is common practice in Northern European countries, where the cold climates prevent the grapes from ripening, but it is prohibited in Southern Europe, as well as in California.
CHARACTER.
Series of characteristics which identify and can even make certain wines unmistakable. Expression of a particular or different production or ageing process.
CHARRED.
Wine which presents smoky, toasty or charred overtones. It is also applied to over-ripe grapes.
“CHATEAU”.
French word which defines a vinicultural estate which is made up of vineyard and winery. In English, it literally means castle.
CHERRY.
Fruit which frequently appears to describe the colour of a wine. In general, cherry colour is dark.
CLARIFICATION.
Operation which is carried out in some wineries and which consists in aerating the wine and separating it from the lees which are deposited in the storage or maturing containers.
CLOSED.
This is applied to concentrated wines which have character, but which reveal only a slight expression of aroma and taste.
CLOUDINESS.
Lack of transparency. It is a positive feature in mature wines with sediments, but may constitute a warning sign if is appears in young wines.
CREAMY.
Silky, rich in glycerine. A broad and very soft wine.
CLOYING.
Designates wines with an excessively sweet flavour, which lack the desirable balance between acid, alcohol, bitterness, and sugar.
COARSE.
This normally refers to the texture of a wine, and in particular, to an excess of tannin or oak. It is also used to describe the bitter bubbles in sparkling wines.
CLARET.
Light, fruity red wine in the fermentation of which the skins have been slightly macerated. It is usually produced for rapid consumption. English enthusiasts call red Bordeaux wine “claret”.
COLD MACERATION.
Technique used in order to enrich white wines with primary aromas. It consists in maintaining the must in contact with the grape skins, preventing the onset of fermentation by the application of cold temperatures.
COLD STABILISATION.
Clarification technique in which the temperature of the wine is lowered to 0 degrees, leading to the separation of tartars and other insoluble solid substances.
COMPLEX.
A wine rich in sensorial nuances, well harmonised and well produced. It is difficult to distinguish a particular flavour in it.
CORK.
Stopper of the bottle.
COVERED.
Very dark coloured red wine, so much so that the bottom of the glass can hardly be seen.
CORKED.
In wine tasting, an unpleasant flavour and smell which can be detected in wines with a cork stopper which is in poor condition, and has given the wine a bacterial “stink”.
CROWN.
Figure formed in the glass by the bubbles of a good sparkling wine or cava when they reach the surface.
CULTIVATED, PRODUCED AND BOTTLED.
This means that the winery has been responsible for carrying out all the stages in the production of the wine.
“CUVÉE”.
A special mixture or batch of wine.
