Why does Languedoc red taste like that?

Characteristically medium-full body. Commonly associated with strawberry, raspberry, dried herbs, white pepper.

Not claiming: That every wine from this variety shows these characteristics. This is the range across the category, and site and winemaking move wines within and beyond it.

Characteristically medium-plus tannin and medium-full body. Commonly associated with blackberry, game, leather, black pepper.

Not claiming: That every wine from this variety shows these characteristics. This is the range across the category, and site and winemaking move wines within and beyond it.

Characteristically medium-plus tannin and medium-full body. Commonly associated with blackberry, black pepper, olive, cured meat.

Not claiming: That every wine from this variety shows these characteristics. This is the range across the category, and site and winemaking move wines within and beyond it.

Warmer growing seasons are associated with faster sugar accumulation and lower retained acidity, so fruit reaches a given potential alcohol earlier in the season.

Varies: Above the vine’s photosynthetic optimum the relationship reverses: extreme heat stalls ripening, inhibits anthocyanin synthesis and can raise sugar only through berry dehydration.

Not claiming: That warm regions necessarily make high-alcohol wine. Potential alcohol at any moment is a choice point; the producer decides when to pick.

A Mediterranean pattern of wet winters and dry summers is associated with reliable ripening and with mild late-season water stress, which restricts berry size and raises the ratio of skin to juice.

Varies: Where the dry season is severe or lengthening, the same pattern produces damaging rather than beneficial stress, and irrigation becomes necessary rather than optional.

Not claiming: That water stress is beneficial as such. Mild stress helps; severe stress halts ripening.

Fermenting on the skins extracts phenolic compounds, including the tannins that produce astringency. Extraction rises with time, temperature and alcohol level.

Varies: Extraction is not linear. Anthocyanins come out early and quickly; tannins continue throughout and beyond fermentation, and post-fermentation maceration can reduce perceived astringency by polymerising them.

Not claiming: That longer maceration always means more perceived tannin. Extended maceration frequently softens a wine rather than hardening it.

Anthocyanins are extracted from black grape skins during skin contact, which is where red wine colour comes from. Most extraction happens in the first days.

Not claiming: That colour depth indicates quality or body. Nebbiolo is pale and highly tannic; deeply coloured wines can be light-bodied.

Combining components to make something better than any of them alone.

Not claiming: That every producer of this style uses this method, or that using it is required.

Three to six years for most, and eight to fifteen for the named crus — Pic Saint-Loup, La Livinière, Terrasses du Larzac — where old-vine Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre give real structure.

Not claiming: That a wine of this style will develop these characters. Ageing potential varies by producer, vintage and storage, and most wine is better young.