WineWisdom

White wine phenolics

When a vertical tasting of bourboulenc at Château d’Anglès, in Languedoc’s La Clape followed on the heels of a viognier masterclass by viognier virtuouso Louisa Rose, one can’t help but tweak one’s thinking on the roles of acidity, freshness and phenolics (essentially tannin) in white wine. Neither grape is particularly well endowed with raging acidity, but both have thick skins which impart a phenolic texture and freshness to the wines they make.