structure
A wine’s architecture—its plan—which includes all the main building blocks of acid, alcohol, fruit, glycerol, and tannins. It’s not enough, however, to say that a wine simply has “structure” (which all DO). The term should be clarified with adjectives such as inadequate or strong; one can also refer to a wine as well structured.
The New Wine Lovers Companion, 2nd Edition, by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst. Copyright © (1) 2003, 1995 by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst. Reprinted by arrangement with Barron's Educational Series, Inc.