Stability: a condition, not a state
The standard
A named stability condition states which change a wine is stable against and under which circumstances the statement holds. Without that, “stable” is a word without reference.
Criteria
- The statement names its reference: protein, tartrate, microbial load or oxidation
- It names the conditions under which it holds: temperature, time, oxygen
- It is measured, not asserted
- It stays conditional and is not shortened into a general property
Distinction
Stability ≠ ageing potential: ageing potential is the capacity to mature, stability the absence of a particular change. Stability ≠ haze: a haze is the visible consequence when a named stability condition is missed.