Very straight-laced wines from the top French chateaux. They only begin to taste good when they've had a few years in the bottle. The large amount of tannin has mellowed and is balanced by the alcohol and sugar in the wine. Maybe easier defined as the opposite of wines made for drinking young - Beaujolais, etc.
hard and tight, is often due to a severe tannic structure or very high acids due to the extreme youth of a wine.
Used to describe relatively hard, high-acid wines that lack depth and roundness; usually said of young wines that need time to soften, or wines that lack richness and body.
practicing great self-denial; "Be systematically ascetic...do...something for no other reason than that you would rather not do it"- William James; "a desert nomad's austere life"; "a spartan diet"; "a spartan existence"
wine in which acidity and tannins are dominant, often because the wine is too young
Term used for wines that have low levels of ripe fruit flavours and excessive acidity and/or tannins. The term usually describes lighter bodied, acidic white wines with subtle flavours. The term usually suggests a red wine with insufficient flavour and high acidity.
Generally meant to indicate a wine that has flavours that are 'closed', that is without strong recognisable varietal or oak characters.
hard and tight, is often due to a severe tannic structure or very high acids in young wines.
rather hard and unyielding
Describes a wine that lacks depth and full flavors.
Wines that are austere are generally not terribly pleasant wines to drink. An austere wine is a hard, rather dry wine, high in acid with restrained fruit and character.
A severe, almost spartan quality that can result from tannin or acid (often in wine that needs more time to mature).
Usually used in descriptions of dry, relatively hard and acidic wines that seem to lack depth and roundness. Such wines may soften a bit with age. Term often applied to wines made from noble grape varieties grown in cool climates or harvested too early in the season.
Somewhat hard, with restrained fruit and character.
Tough and unforgiving, perhaps too young, too dry, or too tannic.
A major geek term that the snobs love to throw around to sound smart. Austere is a vague definition of a wine that has a high level of acid and/or tannin, but is expected to soften with age. "Hard" is a synonym for austere.
A Simple one-dimensional wine usually applied to young wines of ageworthy quality to denote unrealized potential or light yet acidic, not necessarily simple, as in a Chablis.. Backbone The sense of structure present in a wine with sufficient acidity.
Wines that are austere are generally not terribly pleasant wines to drink. An austere wine is a hard, rather dry wine that lacks richness and generosity. However, young Rhônes are not as austere as young Bordeaux.
A closed-in young red wine with lack of depth and roundness and showing obvious tannin and acidity masking the fruit.
the more prestigious châteaux wines of PauiIlac and St. Julien are sometimes referred to thusly. It implies a sensation of pleasant bitterness from tannins. Think of crisp lemonade as opposed to cola or country well water as opposed to soft tap water. Beaujolais, Lietfraumilch, or most American jug wines would not be considered austere.
Used to describe a dry, wine that is usually high in acid and not terribly fruit forward. Usually refers to cool climate wines that may round out with a bit of age.
Describes high-acid wines; sometimes used in reference to young wines.
Tannin or acid can make a wine hard or uninteresting.
Too much tannin or a very young wine can give a tough, dry taste.
Tasting term for relatively hard, high-acid wines that lack depth, roundness, richness and body. Can also describe young wines that need time to soften. Some very good wines - French Chablis and Italian Gavi - may be described as austere.