Balance

Balance is the most important aspect of a wine and is key as to whether it works in the mouth or not and detrimental to its aging ability, especially for reds. When one speaks of balance, it is usually the fruit (sweetness) and acid (sourness) that is of concern. If too much acid, the wine will taste sharp and astringent. If not enough, it will come across as cloying or flabby. This fruit/acid balance must exist in a wine upon creation and, if absent, no amount of aging will provide it. Other elements like too much oak, excessive alcohol and even hard, unripe, aggressive tannins can also render a wine unbalanced on another level. When it comes to balance in a wine, it’s all about harmony of components. This is crucial.