What do people mean when they say "elegant" in wine?

A dancing lady. No, a long, gold curtain. An opera!

Elegant, like many other terms in wine, is really another way of saying “goddamn I love this.” Elegant is never a bad thing, it’s only a compliment. But when we compare it to “goddamn I love this,” “elegant” is a word choice that reflects the speaker as much as it does the wine in question. And I think that’s why some people turn their noses up at it.