What makes Great Big Reds, so Great and so Big?
- Alcohol: 14% or more
- Lots of flavor!
- Tannin/acidity: low and balanced
- Complexity: many different flavors and feelings
- Color: darker is more fun, and often coincides with extra flavor
- Lingering aftertaste
For Team Great Big Reds, we find that too much tannin and acidity conflict with the luscious feel of high alcohol content in your mouth. We’re not after ‘crisp’ or friction on the tongue.
This why we include zinfandels as Great Big Reds, and why we’re rather skeptical of obviously great wines that need to age 15 years for the tannin to tone down. We’re ready to drink today(!), and our wine needs to be ready, too.
Not everyone agrees with this perspective. The other common perspective is that ‘body’ by definition includes tannin and acidity, and ‘full-bodied’ must therefor have strong tannin and notable acidity.
We think Molly Dooker’s “The Boxer” ultimately settles the point: you can be a big, full-bodied, luscious wine with subtle and balanced tannin and acidity.