Comparison
Red Bordeaux vs Taurasi
How Red Bordeaux and Taurasi differ, dimension by dimension.
The short answer
The main differences: Red Bordeaux has more herbal / green character; Taurasi has more acidity; Taurasi has more tannin.
Choose
Taurasi
Choose Taurasi if you want something fresher and more acidic, more tannic and structured, more savoury.
Where they genuinely differ
Only differences large enough to notice in the glass are listed here. A gap of half a point on a five-point scale is noise, and WineHQ does not dress it up as a finding.
Herbal / green character
Clear differenceHerbs, grass, blackcurrant leaf, capsicum and other green notes, largely driven by methoxypyrazines and picking decisions.
Red Bordeaux is more herbal and green: medium against low.
Acidity
Clear differenceTotal perceived acidity. Rises in cooler climates and with earlier picking; falls with heat and ripeness.
Taurasi is fresher and more acidic: high against medium-plus.
Tannin
Clear differencePhenolic compounds from grape skins, seeds, stems and oak. The principal structural axis of red wine.
Taurasi is more tannic and structured: high against medium-plus.
Savoury character
Clear differenceNon-fruit, umami-adjacent character: meat, leather, olive, soy, broth, cured notes. Often increases with age.
Taurasi is more savoury: high against medium-plus.
Earthy character
Clear differenceForest floor, mushroom, wet stone, clay and undergrowth notes. Frequently, though not exclusively, associated with cooler and more traditional styles.
Taurasi is earthier: medium-plus against medium.
Where they are much the same
Just as useful: knowing which parts of the choice do not matter.
- Sweetness: Similar — both low.
- Alcohol: Similar — both medium-plus.
- Body: Similar — both medium-plus.
- Fruit intensity: Similar — both medium.
- Aromatic intensity: Similar — both medium.
Full side by side
| Dimension | Red Bordeaux | Taurasi |
|---|---|---|
| Herbal / green character | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) | low (1/5) |
| Acidity | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) | typically high, ranging from medium-plus to high (5/5) |
| Tannin | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to high (4/5) | typically high, ranging from medium-plus to high (5/5) |
| Savoury character | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) | typically high, ranging from medium-plus to high (5/5) |
| Earthy character | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) |
| Sweetness | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Alcohol | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) |
| Body | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to high (4/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to high (4/5) |
| Fruit intensity | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Aromatic intensity | medium (3/5) | medium (3/5) |
| Oak influence | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Floral character | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Spice | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium (3/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Perceived freshness | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) |
| Carbonation | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Texture | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Serve at | 16–18°C | 16–18°C |
| Typical flavours | blackcurrant, plum, cedar, graphite, tobacco | black cherry, plum, leather, ash, tobacco |
Values are typical points within each wine’s range. Both wines vary — see the individual pages for how much.
Read more
Style
Red Bordeaux
The blended Cabernet–Merlot benchmark: structured, cedary and built to age, with two distinct characters depending on which bank of the river it comes from.
Style
Taurasi
Aglianico grown at altitude in Campania — extremely tannic, savoury and long-lived, often called the Barolo of the south.
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