One of the words I like to use to describe some wines is “flabby”. I have seen it used by a few other wine writers, and it is one of the terms I get asked about a lot. What do I mean when I use this word?
FLABBY: Refers to a wine that lacks acidity. Acidity is vital in a wine to give it life and make the flavors “Pop” in the mouth. It makes the wine lively if you will. I like to use this term with whites especially. How many times have you tasted a chardonnay that just has no life to it? It’s almost like drinking pudding…Sometimes pudding with a dose of oak chips. It might have flavor, but those flavors have no life or verve to them. I love pudding, but I don’t want my wine to be like that.
Reds too can lack acidity and come across as “flabby”. The degree of acidity is important in a red. For instance, I don’t want a Syrah to have too much acidity unless I plan on laying it down for several years so that the acidity will soften, making the wine more approachable. However, I still want the flavors in a Syrah to kick up their heels a bit and let me know they’re there. A Syrah without some acidity becomes dead and lifeless in the mouth…”Flabby”.
However, when I’m drinking a Nebbiolo, Sangiovese (Chianti) or Pinot Noir, I am expecting a little more acidity because it is the nature of the grape. It is a sad day, when I taste a Barolo or Barbaresco that is flabby. It is rare but it has happened. One of the reasons wine critics and writers give California Pinot Noir so much grief, is because they are soft and often times flabby, lacking a fair amount of acidity. Pinot Noir from Burgundy and Oregon is noted for its liveliness in the mouth, it’s mouth-watering acidity, making it a great compliment with food. One of the reasons (I said one) Burgundies are known for their age-worthiness is the higher degree of acidity found in the wines.
If you plan on aging a wine for a while, make damn sure it has some acidity. Otherwise the wine will die on you and be a lifeless, tasteless glass of red or white colored liquid. Like calling someones mid-section or arms flabby, calling a wine flabby is not an endearing term.
Cheers! Stan The Wine Man
