Super Smoothies | Mixed Case

Description

This Super Smoothies mixed case contains 2 bottles each of 6 of the smoothest red wines with attitude. If you love red wine, what a treat this mixed case is. Very popular with customers, this mixed case of smooth red wines contains wines with soft tannins, a medium to full body, a silky or velvety texture and a beautifully smooth mouthfeel.

What makes a wine smooth?

Usually but not always, smooth wines will have been fermented and / or aged in oak barrels. That does not necessarily mean that the wine will have a strong taste of wood; used well, oak adds texture and smoothness to a wine which give it a lovely mouthfeel. A well-made oaked wine will also have subtle hints of cedar and spicy notes but these should be integrated with the fruity flavours to create a complex palate.

Ageing a wine, white or red, on its lees or dead yeast deposits, has a similar effect to oak-ageing in that it softens the texture of the wine and gives it body which contributes to the rounded mouthfeel.  Glycerol, a by-product of the fermentation process and evident in the ‘legs’ of a wine when swirled in the glass, also gives wine the sensation of a round texture. Usually the higher the sugar in the grapes, the more glycerol is produced so wines from warmer climates with riper fruit seemingly have a better chance of a smooth texture. However more sugar means more alcohol and too much alcohol can sometimes be detectable by a burning sensation which could cut through any smoothness. What is important is that all components of the wine are in balance.

The tannins in red wines come from the stalks, skins and pips of the grapes and give wines character, structure, longevity, body and texture. However, as mentioned in my blogpost on tannins, if grapes are picked too early and not handled well for example skins are pressed too harshly, tannins can be astringent or chewy and coarse. This is detectable by a mouth-puckering dryness on the inside of your cheeks such as you would get from sucking on a lemon. Ageing softens tannins but in order to contribute to a wine’s silky smooth texture, tannins also need to be in balance with a wine’s acidity, sweetness, fruit and alcohol.

These smooth red wines are all very mellow; wines to pour and savour. Contents may change from time to time but currently the Super Smoothies includes:

• an old vine Burgundy
• a gorgeous Margaux from Bordeaux’s Left Bank
• an older, softer but still fruity Sangiovese
• an elegant, terroir-focused and organic Rioja
• a velvety wine from Portugal’s Touriga Nacional grape and
• a Rhône-inspired old vine blend of GSM (Grenache, Syrah Mourvèdre) from Barossa