Descriptor required: Sarsaparilla ??

Rooked · Post by **Rooked** » Thu Jul 01, 2004 5:27 pm

I was drinking a very nice wine with my evening meal the other night and was having trouble with a descriptor - I first thought it may be aniseed, but it seemed more like sarsaparilla, but a pure form, almost a spice. I have never had this before and found it intruiging - anybody else had sars in their wine ? The wine was a massena shiraz, 2002 I think.

Wizz · Post by **Wizz** » Thu Jul 01, 2004 6:16 pm

Absolutely. Ive used sarsparilla or flat coke a bit as a descriptor, and it seems most common in very ripe red wines. it seems to be a bit riper and perhaps more alcoholic than Liquorice or Aniseed. I've also used it for some Australian vintage port style.

cheers

Andrew

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jul 01, 2004 7:45 pm

More like licorice root if you have ever eaten/sucked on it.
GW

Rooked · Post by **Rooked** » Fri Jul 02, 2004 10:01 am

Wizz
I don't think flat coke would fit (I can still taste it even now)... I wouldn't have thought the wine was ripe either. Now that you mention port, the flavour was similar to a very, very good Ch Reynella VP I had last year.

Guest
Although I see lic. root sometimes in my travels I have never stopped to suck on one, however, in the interests of scientific research I shall now go out of my way next time to try some. Thanks.

juan · Post by **juan** » Fri Jul 02, 2004 10:05 am

i'd be tempted to describe it as a mix of anise and vanillian.

Rooked · Post by **Rooked** » Fri Jul 02, 2004 10:06 am

juan wrote:i'd be tempted to describe it as a mix of anise and vanillian.

You are getting close there. What is anise ? A finer grade of aniseed ?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jul 02, 2004 5:35 pm

what about fennel?

Michael · Post by **Michael** » Fri Jul 02, 2004 6:29 pm

Don't get too caught up in descriptors, them's fools gold.

Davo · Post by **Davo** » Fri Jul 02, 2004 10:01 pm

Sarsparilla = Methylsalycilate = Metsal = Dencorub

Great as Sarsi, great in the locker room, but I hope I never meet this in wine.

A Hunter Shiraz perhaps?