Primer D

Learn wine vocabulary thanks to this primer specially designed by the Bordeaux Wine School.

D

Decanting

Decanting involves transferring the contents of a bottle into a decanter. The process should be stopped as soon as solid matter deposits that have formed during the wine's bottle ageing process appear in the neck of the bottle. During decanting, slight oxygenation occurs, which allows the bouquet to develop. For old wines, decanting should be brief in order to protect the entire volatile and fragile bouquet.

Dense

Describes a round, full wine with plenty of substance.

Deposit

Solid particles contained in the wine, especially old wines (they can be removed during decanting. See Decanting).

Destemming

Separating the stalks (the stems of the bunches) from the grape berries before they are placed in the fermentation tank. Can help avoid vegetable flavors and rustic or harsh tannins.

Devatting

Separation of the free-run wine and the pomace after fermentation (Synonym

Developed

A developed wine is one that has gone beyond its optimum stage of development. Having reached its peak, a wine then becomes developed. Its aromas fade, its color turns brown and veers towards orange for red wines, and brown or chestnut for white wines.

Disbudding

The removal of all the buds or burgeoning branches that could create too much weight on the vine (detrimental to harvest quality)

Disjointed

This is a wine whose components have become out of balance. Its components no longer complement each other. For example, a white wine whose acidity is too high (due to unripe grapes) or whose tannins are too harsh (excessive barrel fermentation time). In Bordeaux, as there is a long history of blending various grape varieties with complementary characteristics, the wines are usually well-balanced.

Double Magnum

A bottle that contains three liters, the equivalent of four 75 cl bottles.

Downgrading

The withdrawal of the right to call a wine with an appellation of origin name; so it is henceforth sold as a 'table wine' or 'vin de table'. This process is normally implemented when the wine presented for AOC approval does not meet the conditions required by the decree of the relevant AOC.

Dry

Used to describe a wine that contains less than 4 grams of residual sugar (sugar that has not been fermented by yeasts) per liter.