I am scratching my head to figure out how to describe the taste of an oxidized wine.
Here’s what the Wine Speculator sez:
Describes wine that has been exposed too long to air and taken on a brownish color, losing its freshness and perhaps beginning to smell and taste like Sherry or old apples. Oxidized wines are also called maderized or sherrified.
Here’s what Lord Parker sez:
If a wine has been excessively exposed to air during either its making or aging, the wine loses freshness and takes on a stale, old smell and taste. Such a wine is said to be oxidized.
Neither suits a wine made in an oxidized style; it’s not necessarily a bad thing, just a style.
What do you think, dear readers?
I had a Tokaji Aszu 1988, that was quite oxidized. It was still quite “fresh” when opened with good acidity, but I saved a little bit for the next day, and then it no longer tasted like a Tokaji – it had become a Madeira! I found it interesting and appealing, unlike some critics here in Norway.
In terms of style, one simply has to look at xeres, montilla morilles or savignan, grenache blanc or even our beloved chenin based wines as exemplary (and great) wines that are oxidized on purpose. In fact, they bring a certain freshness to the palette that replaces acidity.
If you dig it, thenit is great but an acquired taste.
caveman
This has been an education.
I never realized anyone oxidized wine on purpose.