What does the term "Structure" mean?

[Joe Chan]

Wow, lots of info. One question though. I've been reading lots of the tasting notes, etc., and the word "structure" keeps coming up. What is structure? What is the sensation that I can use to judge whether a wine has lots of structure or not?


Moderators note: this Post was split from THIS THREAD about wines shutting down.

[Glenn E.]

Wow, lots of info. One question though. I've been reading lots of the tasting notes, etc., and the word "structure" keeps coming up. What is structure? What is the sensation that I can use to judge whether a wine has lots of structure or not?

I share your confusion, Joe, as I'm not entirely certain how to describe it either even though I use the term in my notes.

To me, some Ports just feel solid. They have layers that integrate well and seem to be "built" on a firm foundation of tannins and acidity.

While I find that the fruity flavors and aromas are what I enjoy while drinking Port, I have come to recognize that those fade quickly if the tannins and acidity aren't there to provide a firm foundation. With their "structure" the fruits grow flabby and the alcohol often becomes hot and/or disjointed.

Sorry I can't be more precise. Hopefully someone can come up with a better description for both of us!

[Peter W. Meek]

I have the silly definition of "structure".

It is what you taste, when someone you trust to be knowledgeable, says of the wine you are tasting, "Wow! This really has structure," or "Nice structure."

I don't know how anyone would ever get it otherwise. Similarly for "tannins".

It just (Ha!) takes a good memory for taste and feel; which I don't have; which is why I rarely post Tasting Notes.

[Roy Hersh]

Joe C. wrote:

Wow, lots of info. One question though. I've been reading lots of the tasting notes, etc., and the word "structure" keeps coming up. What is structure? What is the sensation that I can use to judge whether a wine has lots of structure or not?

Hopefully Andy will split this into its own topic on "structure" of Port.

Let me try to address this question of "what is structure?"

You can not taste structure like a flavor. Structure in a wine is the basis for a wine seeming balanced. For a wine to be "in balance" the fruit must first be met with acidity. Acidity is in all wine and Port. It is a natural component in a grape and can vary based on the type of grape, the growing conditions, where it is grown and when it is picked. When you think of biting into a lemon, you feel yourself salivate and the salivary glands are on the sides beneath your tongue. So acidity is "felt" as well when you taste wine, in that region of your mouth. That natural acidity helps to provide a counterpoint to sweetness in a wine like Port and is one of the key components that allows wine, or Port to improve in bottle ... known as aging. When there are poor growing conditions in a particular season, in some regions of the world ... it is "legal" or accepted by those that regulate the region, there may need to be "adjustments" made to the acidity level. This is done by the winemaker who can tweak the natural acidity by adding tartaric acid, a powder to "correct" for deficiencies in the natural acidity.

Acidity can also affect the yeasts during fermentation and protects wine from bacteria, but I prefer to keep this basic and focused on the point of structure. Acid in wine can be sensed or tasted and can add freshness to a wine, and often I'll use the word "bright" or "fresh" or "lively" or "vitality" in my tasting notes to relay that character. Acidity can also be sensed or tasted as "tart" or "sour" and can be understood if you bite into an apple. Some are sweeter, some more tart (granny smith) and some even sour (crab apples or under-ripe varieties). Without the requisite level of acidity, a Port can seem fat/flabby/cloying in its sweetness. Think of maple syrup, which has no acidity to speak of and this is how a Port without acidity would appear ... thick, sweet and syrupy. But without the acidity ... it can not age, it won't improve from what it is when it begins. Ageability of a wine begins with acidity.

Now to the second facet of structure in Port wine: tannins.

Tannins are found in the skins, seeds (pips) and grape stems too. You'll find tannins in everything from leather to tea. But it is sensed in wine, typically red wine ... but occasionally some whites as well. It is a natural component in wine and may be adjusted too, by adding tannins where necessary, but that is typically not done with Port wine. There are ways to manipulate tannins in Port and that has to do with whether the grapes are fermented whole cluster or the stems are removed and the amount of time that the skins are left in contact with the juice during fermentation. This is a very basic explanation. Tannins are sensed and tasted and can be felt as a dryness or astringency or occasionally as a bitterness. Tannins will actually modify the saliva in the mouth by removing the lubrication in the saliva by combining with protein molecules to do so. But again, I don't want to get into polymerization or get overly technical here.

The tannins in Port provide the stucture, the way a spine will provide structure to man. Tannins enable Port to age, along with acidity. They can be sensed as "hairy or fuzzy" sensation on your teeth, or a "chalky or granular" impression on your cheeks and tongue, or a "saliva sucking or astringent" sensation in your mouth.

I hope this helps to explain the duality of stuctural components: acidity and tannin the two main characteristics which allow wine/Port to age and provide balance.

[Peter W. Meek]

...Let me try to address this question of "what is structure?"...

Wow. A lot different than what I thought people were talking about when discussing "structure".

Thank you, Roy.

[Eric Menchen]

Roy knows a lot more than I about tasting wine, but I thought of structure as referring to the acid, tannin, and flavor, and more layers of flavor balanced by the former two as being more structured. That's just me. This could be a clarification, or I could be wrong in my use of the term.

As for doctoring a wine with acid, you can use tartaric acid, or a winemaker's acid blend which typically contains tartaric, malic, and citric acid. My quick check of one supplier indicated their blend was in equal amounts of each, while another was 50% malic, 40% citric, and 10% tartaric.

[Joe Chan]

So is balance really the key to the degree of structure? I have little experience with port, but I have been a wine drinker for a while. I certainly notice wines that are off balance. But even for wines that seem quite balance, there seem to a difference in "weight" (perhaps there is a better word for it). Some wines seem very light, and some wines seem very "meaty," almost like you can eat them. Does that play affect the structure of the wine? Granted, I generally find more complex and interesting wine likely lean towards the meaty side.

[Glenn E.]

So is balance really the key to the degree of structure?

I don't think so. To me, structure is part of what makes a Port balanced, but a Port with good structure can still be out of balance.

For example, a very young Port might be so incredibly fruit-forward that it is out of balance, yet underneath all of that fruit are firm tannins and good acidity providing a solid structure upon which the Port can age and mature. Once the fruit fades or evolves some, the Port will be in better balance and will be much nicer to drink.

(Unless you're like me and you like those big, juicy, fruit bombs. But that's a different thread. )

[Roy Hersh]

Joe wrote:

Some wines seem very light, and some wines seem very "meaty," almost like you can eat them. Does that play affect the structure of the wine? Granted, I generally find more complex and interesting wine likely lean towards the meaty side.

Having a penchant for a wine that is more on the meaty side is a personal preference and clearly you like that, rather than a lighter-bodied wine. That really has little to do with "balance" per se. It is no different with Port, and here I will point directly at Vintage Port (VP). Some people like a lighter and more vinous elegant style with fluidity, while others prefer to have a fleshy flashy flamboyance and others still, prefer a massive fruit monsters cloaked in mouth ripping tannins. That is why there is such a vast difference in people's tasting notes and scores.

The structure of the wine typically points to the "spine" for most who are taught about the organoleptic sensory evaluation of wine (or Port). But it is not too far of a stretch to use Glenn's definition or look at structure as the bigger picture of the Port in its entirety. I can understand that view, although it differs from the typical acidity/tannin/fruit equation. Nonetheless, I would have to say "no" though, that the body weight and chewy nature of the wine is not a component of "structure."

[Paul Fountain]

I'd definitely with Roy on this . To step outside of the Port context for just a sentance or two, I think good examples of this in the red wine world are Pinot Noir and Sangiovese. Niether of these are going to match the weight of the better Cab Savs, without sacrificing verital character but both are capable of having excellent structure. Stepping back in to the world of Port, I'd say that the addition of the spirit to the wine adds to the weight and it is up to the winemaker to then judge and adjust the combination of fruit, sugar, acid and tannins to aviod the wine being either too flabby or austere

[Russ K]

To my simple mind, I always think of it as the wines "foundation" or firmness, on which the flavors can be built off of. It is not always tannins, but in whites often the acidity to balance out the fruit and the alcohol.
Without it, you get overly fruity or sweet or maybe too hot / boozy.
It this foundation in which wines like Port, can be aged to higher quality. The bottle could be very tannic while young, but that provides the foundation into which 30 years of age will mellow over time and bring it into perfect balance.
Some wines that have less structure, or the winemakers target the structure at the level they feel is best for immediate consumption, are often not meant to age.

[Jim R.]

All the above comments are valid but I emphasize Balance! You need the tannins for aging but if they are so high that they overpower the taste of fruit and alcohol there is a real possibility that the wine will never be balanced. I believe this is more prevalent in table wines than ports but I have had some that may never integrate fully. I will fall back on the combined experience represented by the membership if anyone would like to throw out an example of an older vintage port that seems destined to take its out-of-balance (OOB) condition to its grave. I specifically mentioned tannins but acidity, sweetness, alcohol, etc can all have balance issues. No matter how old a wine gets it still can stay OOB but you may also have noticed the condition early in your ownership and decided that there was enough of the other structure components to integrate in the future. Good Luck, sometimes the surprise recoveries are the best bottles!

[Roy Hersh]

You may add acidity to Port wine to balance it out, but not sugar.