https://www.proz.com/kudoz/spanish-to-english/food-drink/6843430-fondo-licoroso-y-bals%C3%A1mico.html
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Abanico de selección
goloso

Glossary entry

Spanish term or phrase:

fondo licoroso y balsámico

English translation:

spirituous and balsamic note

Added to glossary by Elizabeth Joy Pitt de Morales
Jul 9, 2020 10:39
3 yrs ago
21 viewers *
Spanish term

fondo licoroso y balsámico

Spanish to English Other Food & Drink Wine
Another wine question, please....

"Aromas de maderas nobles, coco, pimienta sobre fondo de frutas negras y maduras y compota. Fondo licoroso y balsámico."

From my research, I've ascertained that "background" and "balsamic" are fine when talking about wines, but would appreciate having those confirmed.

But "liquor-like" or "liqueur-ish" don't seem right. And I'm wondering if it is, in fact, "liquorice" (which we pronounce liquor-ish)...

Any guidance appreciated.

Many thanks
Proposed translations (English)
4 spirituous and balsamic note
3 A syrupy balsamic base note
3 -1 spirit/liquor and balsamic note
Change log

Jul 16, 2020 09:31: Elizabeth Joy Pitt de Morales Created KOG entry

Discussion

ormiston Jul 10, 2020:
Here is a wine website definition of syrupy Syrupy
Describes a white wine rich in residual sugar (natural, non-fermented sugar). Syrupy wines are very fat on the palate...
philgoddard Jul 10, 2020:
Sandra You should post your answer.
Comunican (asker) Jul 10, 2020:
Have reopened the question because Ormiston's suggestion has got me down the route of looking at 'vin liquoreux' and a Kudoz French>English answer, which says "has had some sugar added to it to make it sweeter (though I believe this is a naturally-occuring grape-related sugar, and not just any old cane sugar) --- this is NOT the same as a 'fortified wine'".
Comunican (asker) Jul 9, 2020:
Thank you both! Thank you both!
Sandra Cirera-García Jul 9, 2020:
@Comunican You're welcome, and good luck with this translation!
Carol Gullidge Jul 9, 2020:
@ Communican yes, the language of wine tasting is indeed misleadingly flowery, but at the same time it is extremely (and surprisingly) precise. Which makes it all the harder for translators. You simply cannot make something up - as some translators on ProZ have insisted that you can. "Just anything" will definitely not do.
And I'd be wary of using "aromatic" here on its own, as that omits the "Espiritoso" element, which is probably more crucial here.
And, yes, do use the RAE or a paper dictionary more often :)
Comunican (asker) Jul 9, 2020:
@Sandra Cirera-Garcia Many thanks Sandra, and you remind me that I really should use RAE more often than I do (I tend to open up the same 6 main dictionaries in my browser every day and sometimes forget to look at others!). I've found a few Spanish tasting notes for this wine, but unfortunately no English equivalents. Aromatic seems quite convincing here, thank you.
Comunican (asker) Jul 9, 2020:
@Carol Gullidge Hi Carol. Yes, for licoroso in a wine context, I've found strong/fortified wine, but wasn't sure if it was right in the context of a background taste. And yes, I know that liquorice is regaliz but the language of wine is so flowery that it occurred to me it could actually be derived from it "being like liqueur/liquor" - just a wild guess!
Sandra Cirera-García Jul 9, 2020:
RAE The definition for "licoroso" is: 1. adj. Dicho del vino: Espiritoso y aromático.

Something along the lines of "aromatic", perhaps. Definitely not "liquorice".

It might be worth looking into English reviews of wines made of the same grape/wines of the same style and see how they are described.
Carol Gullidge Jul 9, 2020:
A simple dictionary search reveals "of high alcoholic content", which seems to fit the bill in this context.

What did you find in your own dictionary or glossary?
Carol Gullidge Jul 9, 2020:
not liquorice: as that's regaliz.

But which term are you asking about (remember, only one term per question, for the sake of the poor old Glossary!)

I imagine it's "licoroso" that you're asking for...?

Proposed translations

1 day 6 hrs
Selected

spirituous and balsamic note

I have found a number of references for "spirituous wine". Here are three:

"Spiritous wine is wine rich in alcohol, when drunk generates a sensation of heat in the stomach".
https://books.google.es/books?id=Vy9te0HWTYwC&pg=PA126&lpg=P...

"A dry and spirituous wine" (p. 107) "A dry spirituous wine"
https://books.google.es/books?id=ciQZAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA141&lpg=P...

This one refers to "vin spiritueux" https://books.google.es/books?id=5AY2AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA872&lpg=P...
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Many thanks Elizabeth and everyone for your help with this tricky one!"
-1
6 hrs

spirit/liquor and balsamic note

Peer comment(s):
disagree Yvonne Gallagher : nothing to do with spirit or liquor
19 hrs
Something went wrong...
2 hrs

A syrupy balsamic base note

On the strength of the helpful debate above, I've researched possible interpretatios via the French adjective. Balsamic is often linked to syrupy and comes up as a possibility for 'liqueureux' too..

"In the old days, it was a balsamic medicine – used to soothe the throat – and so it is very ... fulsome flavour than wine vinegars, but they are not as sweet and syrupy as balsamic.
Imagehttps://www.simplyrecipes.com › a_...

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Note added at 1 jour 8 heures (2020-07-10 18:51:07 GMT)
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More references, not necessarily negative
C'est pourquoi par exemple les vins liquoreux ont une intensité aromatique secondaire plus importante.
This is why, for example, syrupy wines have a higher secondary aromatic intensity.

Cambridge university dictionary describes it primarily as sweet, then with a thick texture
Peer comment(s):
neutral Yvonne Gallagher : doesn't sound like very appetising WINE at all
23 hrs
Neither does the Spanish!
neutral philgoddard : Your own reference shows that "syrupy" is not an attractive characteristic.
1 day 1 hr
Something went wrong...