Style as a decision: not as an obligation of origin

The standard

An accountable style decision is recognisable as a decision: it names what was chosen and what was thereby excluded. Where style is derived from origin alone, the author disappears behind the place.

Criteria

• The decision can be named, not only its result
• It holds across vintages, not only in a favourable year
• It excludes possibilities that were open
• It is not presented as a property of the soil

Distinction

Style ≠ terroir: terroir describes conditions, style the handling of them. Style ≠ fashion: an accountable style decision persists when the taste of the time turns. Where the two are confused, a choice appears as a necessity.