Big guns (biceps), well-developed pecks or defined quads… These are some of the things that come to mind when we use the word muscular. There is freakish muscular, like some of the body builders you see in muscle magazines. There are also the basically fit men or woman who have obvious (visible) definition of the muscles in their body. So what the hell does any of this have to do with a glass of wine? This is a very good question, and I hope I am able to help you understand why some wine writers use the term “muscular” when describing a wine, and what they are trying to convey.
Muscular: I will admit, that I do not use this term very often in my wine descriptors. However, I do understand what wine writers are trying to relay to their readers when using this adjective. First off, muscular implies more than just big in the mouth, it also involves structure…A word we have already addressed. For a wine to be muscular, it not only has to be broad and structured on the palate, it also has to have definition. A person can be as strong as an ox, but without definition, they will not be perceived as muscular. The same is true with a wine described in this way.
Let’s use cabernet sauvignon as an example. Cabs fall into a few categories. There are soft, fruit-forward versions, big tannic versions, some that show finesse and some that are a combination of the three . For a cab to be described as muscular, it must have solid, defined fruit flavors along with solid tannins to uphold the fruit (but are not necessarily overbearing). If the wine is flabby or soft, it cannot be described as muscular. A muscular wine leaves an impression on your palate (like a well-defined body might leave on your mind). Don’t get all weird on me here, just try to follow my train of thought. A muscular cab is a cab with the stuff to age. It might smack your palate around a bit and hit you with some thought-provoking flavors. It has structure in spades with a strong backbone of tannins and acidity that help define the powerful fruit notes. It is BIG without being fat.
There is also another angle to the term muscular, and hopefully the source of the descriptor clarifies what they mean. Muscular can also denote a wine that is almost undrinkable because it is so tightly wound up (like a body builder). For instance, a Barbaresco or Barolo may be defined as muscular in the sense of a wine that is rustic, tight and mouth-puckering. Tannat is a grape that is famous for putting out muscle-bound wines that need some time to soften up before they are drinkable (although I enjoy a muscle-bound wine now and then). There are no subtleties in a wine that is muscular in this sense. So, make sure whoever uses the term muscular also surrounds it with enough descriptors to help you understand the angle they are coming from. I like the word muscular, as long as it has clarifying text surrounding it. In either case, if you want a wine that will age a bit, it has to have the muscles to do it.
Cheers! Stan The Wine Man
