Fizziness?

Sometimes when I first open a wine (especially a white, although it's happened with reds before) it has a fizzy quality, which, usually over time, dissipates. Is this considered a fault in the wine? What causes it? Thanks in advance everyone!

Some wines, mostly whites, are bottles with a bit of "spritz". Usually this is residual CO2 still in the wine from fermentation. It happens when the wines are fermented under cooler conditions and/or bottled very young. In such cases I would not consider it a fault. Some winemakers, so I've heard, add a bit of CO2 at bottling to give it a spritzy carbonated effect. However, a red that's fizzy is a different thing. It generally indicates some sort of fermentation taking place after bottling, such as malo-lactic. This would be considered a fault.

Maria, the '06 Scotch Block Marechal Foch that I opened on the weekend certainly had lots of spritz. I concur with Howie - it is most likely just what I call "youthful carbonation" in my TNs.

I have to say that I actually like the look of it, especially in white wines. It just seems so vibrant and alive in the glass.

Sometimes when I first open a wine (especially a white, although it's happened with reds before) it has a fizzy quality, which, usually over time, dissipates. Is this considered a fault in the wine? What causes it? Thanks in advance everyone!

Just piling on a little ...

A little spritz or a touch of petillance isn't always bad in my book and, to be sure, often desirable, especially in summery wines, e.g. certain rosés and vinho verde for sure. Now, if you spend $125.00 on a Grand Cru Theese or Thaht and it's as bubbly as a bottle of Coke, then I'd want my money back.

But if you like it, regardless of where you find it, is it really a fault?

From Jancis:

And many wines contain a perceptible amount of fizz, gassy carbon dioxide which has a physical, tactile effect which can vary from a gentle prickle to an uncomfortably overwhelming froth. Sometimes winemakers deliberately leave a little carbon dioxide in a wine to make it taste fresher.

I've been told by winemakers that they can take their borderline flabby wine, add a little spritz to it, and voila, you have a wine that no longer seems flabby in the mouth.

But if you like it, regardless of where you find it, is it really a fault?

We experienced this in a bottle of Montepulicano D'Abruzzo last week at an Italian tasting. The rest of the table abhorred it and figured the bottle was bad, but I really didn't find it offensive. Maybe this is because I had been tasting drinking Lambrusco just the week before. The fizziness did end up dissipating after a short while.

I've been told by winemakers that they can take their borderline flabby wine, add a little spritz to it, and voila, you have a wine that no longer seems flabby in the mouth.

Indeed, I recall tasting a bottle of Loosen Dr L Riesling before and after a good shake. Chalk and cheese, or rather in this case lithe and flabby.

You know it's a common phenomenon, because both the French (petillant) and the Italians (frizzante) have words for it. Did someone mention spritz ?

And yes, a little dissolved CO2 will cure incipient flabbiness. I see that as a benefit, not a problem. I've encountered any number of Beaujolais that had a bit of spritz, and it was no detriment to the wine. Among whites, vinho verde and Welchsriesling are, to my mind, unimaginable without a touch of carbonation.

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Thank you all for explanations!

So, should I note this in my TNs then? If so, how would I word it?

If you say "spritz" everyone will know what you're talking about.