Link to article on "Minerality"

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/foo ... le4536705/

Thanks Craig. There was a very excitable discussion on this subject over on the UK wine forum earlier this year. I expect more fireworks when I present this new link, grin wink!!

Yes, these days all I hear is "minerality", on this forum too. And while there may be something that some people taste which is reminiscent to them of minerals, it doesn't come from minerals. We knew that back in Davis, when Ann Noble would be up in arms about the descriptor "mineral", among many descriptors she was up in arms about. she would ask which mineral, and the taster was invariably stumped, because in truth, people couldn't differentiate that far. OF course, to say that something smelled the way lichen on granite smells after a rain, one is differentiating olfactory sensations which may have a valid origin in the lichen. I have never tasted minerality personally, but I have tasted what I think might have been described by other tasters as "minerality", and which I perceived differently. I would be hard pressed, however, to be certain, because we have no common ground for descriptional vocabulary.

Well, I'll try to transcribe my thoughts into words which is not that easy in this case. 'Minerality' is something I rarely smell in a wine but rather a tasting descriptor showing on the mid-palate towards the finish. It's usually something which, alike acidity, gives the wine a push to show its balance, complexity and 'refreshing' ability. Thus I feel it the more often in dry whites such as Sauvignon Blanc (Ella Valley, Dalton Fume Blanc), Gvaot Gewurz or in cold weather red grape wines such as the Gvaot Pinot yet the Ella Valley Merlot '06 I had last shabbat had also some quite nice minerality. It is not compatible in my book with wines showing overripe fruit, quite on the contrary, for me it comes with focused, clean fruit. The sole feeling itself of minerality for me is indeed something I could best describe like if I had a clean, cold, polished and somewhat salty little stone between my palate and my tongue diffusing to a varying degree some kind of a minty freshness all over my mouth. Was I clear enough?

Hi Gabe, so let's go through this. There are only 5 tastes that we know- sweet, sour, salt, bitter and umami. we also have tactile sensations, texture, mouthfeel. You state that minerality is like acidity. Could it instead be a function of all or some of the aforementioned things? If so, can you try to better define that function? And do other people mean the same thing when they use the term?

I didn't say that minerality is LIKE acidity but that, for me at least, it shares with acidity one common role by adding some kind of freshness to the wine and is found in wines that are usually well-balanced, with no overripe fruit. And the two come together in my experience, meaning that I've yet to taste a wine with minerality and low acidity. And yes, I believe it could be defined in some ways as a function of these things by bringing briefly on the mid-palate a very light salty and bitter taste and defines the wine's texture as neither too thick nor too thin - minerality IS NOT watery -. Now whether other people can identify themselves as in line with my definition of the term? That, we shall see. Or not?

P.S. Perhaps we should move this thread to the other board, unless there is kosher or israeli minerality and treif minerality?

For whatever it is worth, here's an other article on point: http://www.decanter.com/news/blogs/expert/529708/jefford-on-monday-a-fashion-for-stones