WTN: Acid wash

I like acids in my wine as much as the next fella, yet, there comes a time when you really don't want to suck on a car battery between bites of food. For you true acid droppers out there, this Buds for you!

Chão Rijo, Vinho Regional Lisboa, Adega Regional de Colares, 2011
Least acidic in the lineup, this has tarry, burnt aromas with a floral quality on the nose. Medium-bodied, with a tarry finish, a bit biting, not complex. Tastes like a cheap Cotes-du-Rhone from a struggling year. Has an off-putting burnt taste on the finish that just won't go away. Comes across as rustic and imbues an alcohol headache. 13%

Moving up the acid bandwagon:

Baudry, Chinon, 'les Grezeaux', 2009
Deeply red colored, this does have a nice lifting aroma to it, but then tasting it you get the rich fruit but it is all sour red fruit with a strong green note throughout. Yes, there is the cabernet franc green tobacco, blackberry stems, and redcurrants, but there are also aggressive tannins that stick it to you, rough, with an austere bite. I'll give it room for improvement, as right now it's not enjoyable AT ALL.

Yep, another acid-loving Dressner wine:

Guttarolo, Puglia IGT, Primitivo (in amphora), 2009
What is it with these 2009's? I thought it was supposed to be a ripe year?! Has an attractive dark strawberry color, with orange rind and red fruits on the nose and palate, but then the phosphoric hits you like a thousand tiny pricks. This doesn't taste like any primitivo I know, it could be an acidic red wine from just about anywhere, and actually tastes like under-picked cool climate California syrah. 12.5% and no redeeming qualities. Perhaps I can use it as an acidifier in a sauce?

[David M. Bueker]

Those Baudry wines do shut down hard. I opened a 2007 Croix Boissee not long ago that was tough as nails.

Those Baudry wines do shut down hard. I opened a 2007 Croix Boissee not long ago that was tough as nails.

Yes, they do. I am wondering when they shed that hardness, because they can be so nice upon release.

Guttarolo, Puglia IGT, Primitivo (in amphora), 2009
Has an attractive dark strawberry color, with orange rind and red fruits on the nose and palate, but then the phosphoric hits you like a thousand tiny pricks.

I'm curious, Mark: how did you know it was phosphoric that hit your palate?

Guttarolo, Puglia IGT, Primitivo (in amphora), 2009
Has an attractive dark strawberry color, with orange rind and red fruits on the nose and palate, but then the phosphoric hits you like a thousand tiny pricks.

I'm curious, Mark: how did you know it was phosphoric that hit your palate?

Drank a ton of RC Cola before which contained it.

Did you every wonder what cola soda would taste if a small amount of phosphoric acid weren’t added to it?

Salute

Guttarolo, Puglia IGT, Primitivo (in amphora), 2009
Has an attractive dark strawberry color, with orange rind and red fruits on the nose and palate, but then the phosphoric hits you like a thousand tiny pricks.

I'm curious, Mark: how did you know it was phosphoric that hit your palate?

Drank a ton of RC Cola before which contained it.

Aha!

I asked because with unripe grapes it seems unlikely phosphoric would have been added to lower pH, but without label ingredient requirements, who knows

Victor:

When I was about ten, one of my older brothers had a part time job at the local Coca Cola bottling plant. He brought home syrup, which we mixed with seltzer--straight CO2 and water. It didn't taste at all like what was in the 7-ounce Coke bottles at the time.