Minerality in wine: Perception, not proof of origin

The standard

A perception-bound account of minerality names the impression it means instead of passing it off as origin. It traces the impression back to measurable quantities: acidity, pH value and sulfur compounds from reductive ageing.

Criteria

• The impression described is named, not merely labelled
• Acidity and saltiness are not conflated
• Reductive notes from the cellar stay separate from the impression of soil
• The account claims no transport of rock into the wine

Distinction

Minerality ≠ terroir: one is an impression in the glass, the other an interplay of site factors. Minerality ≠ soil type: a perception-bound account of minerality does not infer the subsoil from the taste. The impression remains describable even where its cause stays open.