Definition of Tanin in wine
A natural compound contained in the skin of the grape, the seed or the woody part of the bunch, the stalk. The maceration of red wines allows the extraction of tannins, which give the texture, the solidity and also the mellowness when the tannins are "ripe". The winemaker seeks above all to extract the tannins from the skin, the ripest and most noble. The tannins of the seed or stalk, which are "greener", especially in average years, give the wine hardness and astringency. The wines of Bordeaux (based on Cabernet and Merlot) are full of tannins, those of Burgundy much less so, with Pinot Noir containing little.