The term "backward" describes a wine that is out of balance in that the structural elements, primarily the tannins, obscure the central element of the wine, the nuance of the fruit. Generally, the term is used for a wine that has not yet reached its drinking window and requires some cellaring, such as a young Bordeaux. These wines are often described as "closed."
An analogy...think of the fruit as the picture and the structure as the frame. Now turn it around. You can't see the picture, but you can still see the frame.
1 comment:
Ben, I have always found backward wines a wine the belies time. One that may show 10 or 20 years on the label, but 4 or 5 years in its taste profile. Always seeming young and somewhat unresolved. I am not sure I would consider 'out of balance' backward.
But what the hell do I know?
Cheers.
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