Getting to the Root of Tastes in Wine

(WSJ) -  WHEN IT COMES TO their produce, winemakers are no different than any other farmers. They are obsessed with the earth. Though plants in reality only need water, sun and air to produce fruit, vignerons wax lyrical about the quality of their soil and how it influences their wines.

Wine connoisseurs, too, can't seem to get enough. It's not uncommon for today's tasting notes to include descriptors such as flinty for wines grown in the Loire, wet slate for German Riesling and, a term I use frequently, minerality—a savory, saline, stony aftertaste—for Bordeaux wines, particularly those from the Médoc.

But how important is soil exactly when it comes to the nature and character of wine? Does it affect the wine's overall quality?

The French were the first to recognize the role soil plays in wine's development, and thought it important enough to build an entire classification system around the concept of terroir. The word itself dates back to the 17th century and was used as part of the phrase goût de terroir, or taste of the earth, but it was the wider concept of terroir—the natural environment of a vineyard—that was one of the key factors underlying the French Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée system. Which is why those who collect and enjoy French wine do so through the names of vineyards and villages, as opposed to, say, grape varieties.

Broadly speaking, we know that certain soil types suit certain grape varieties. Chardonnay grows well in limestone and marl-rich soils, while Cabernet Sauvignon is particularly suited to sandy gravel. It's no coincidence that many of the best Cabernet Sauvignons in Bordeaux are grown on the Left Bank in the Médoc, which is made up of sandy gravel.