Complexity

Appears in
Oxford Companion to Wine

By Jancis Robinson

Published 2006

  • About

complexity, a tasting term of approval when applied to flavour in wine, and commonly viewed as a central component of wine quality. Complex wines possess multiple flavours as well as flavour diversity. The term implies coherence: chaotic or jarring flavours are not considered complex. It can also be used, typically when describing older wines, to suggest intricate subtlety, requiring sustained mental effort to grasp, as with a complex puzzle.

A.H.