I was pondering about which grape varieties I enjoy most, and a certain theme emerged. It wasn't a typical connection like region or country of origin, though. I realized most of the wines I really enjoy come from thin, or at least thinner, skinned grapes. Based on the sort of information a good wine book or even a Wikipedia article can offer, some common thin and thick skinned grapes are as follows:Thin Skin - Pinot Noir (pictured top left), Nebbiolo, Grenache, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Sangiovese
Thick Skin - Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah (pictured lower left), Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Mourvedre, Tempranillo
If I had to choose several varieties to take to a desert island, I'd probably choose Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo, Cabernet Franc and Mourvedre. Mourvedre I like for its funky, rough character, but the other three I like for their aromatics, transparency, and grace. So, is a thin skin part of what makes a grape capable of expressing its terroir and achieving elegance?
Certainly a thin skin does not imply a wine will be spineless. Nebbiolo is both incredibly acidic and tannic, for example. But it does seem to me that these thin skinned wines are less about fleshy extract and mouth coating body than the Syrahs and Cabernets of the world. They seem to be more transparent if not ethereal, although they also seem to be difficult varieties that struggle to find that sweet spot. Too ripe, and their frame can't support the fat. Not ripe enough, and they're dilute. Pinot Noir is the classic example of a grape that requires a very specific environment to achieve greatness.
On the other hand, sturdy grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah can be expressive of their terroir and vintage. But more often than not their power, not their expressiveness, is optimized. Even in their more reserved forms, though, it seems these grapes aren't quite as aromatic.
Is it the skin to juice ratio and the sorts of phenolics that thin skinned grapes produce? Or is it the treatment their fickle nature necessitates? Either way, it's these thin skinned grapes that most often surprise and amaze me in a glass.
Certainly a thin skin does not imply a wine will be spineless. Nebbiolo is both incredibly acidic and tannic, for example. But it does seem to me that these thin skinned wines are less about fleshy extract and mouth coating body than the Syrahs and Cabernets of the world. They seem to be more transparent if not ethereal, although they also seem to be difficult varieties that struggle to find that sweet spot. Too ripe, and their frame can't support the fat. Not ripe enough, and they're dilute. Pinot Noir is the classic example of a grape that requires a very specific environment to achieve greatness.On the other hand, sturdy grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah can be expressive of their terroir and vintage. But more often than not their power, not their expressiveness, is optimized. Even in their more reserved forms, though, it seems these grapes aren't quite as aromatic.
Is it the skin to juice ratio and the sorts of phenolics that thin skinned grapes produce? Or is it the treatment their fickle nature necessitates? Either way, it's these thin skinned grapes that most often surprise and amaze me in a glass.
