1 - The Systematic Approach to Tasting Wine Flashcards
The purpose of the SAT (2)
Develop 2 fundamental skills
The ability to
1. describe a wine accurately
2. make reasonable conclusions based on these descriptions
The format of the SAT
3 parts
Sections
Category headings, terms
- 3 sections: Appearance, Nose, Palate —> descriptive
- Conclusions —> evaluative
- Wine-lexicon —> support
Using the SAT, calibrate palate
1. identify…
2. Draw …
3. Being able to …
Identify aroma and flavor characteristics and structural components.
Draw conclusions about quality and readiness for drinking.
Calibrated palate —>
Being able to classify the levels of a certain wine’s components relative to the general world of wines
Hyphenated lines -
Select only one of the terms
‘E.g.’ lines
Not restricted to the terms, but strongly encouraged
Using the Scales
5-point scale, but not equal parts
Medium is subdivided into three equal parts: medium(-), medium, medium(+)
Suitable tasting environment (4)
- Good natural lighting—> for judging the appearance
- Odour free —> to avoid interfering with wine aromas
- Sufficient space —> wine glasses and notes
- Spittoons
Prepare yourself for tasting (4)
- Clean palate
- Well hydrated
- Record notes
- Suitable glassware & sample
Suitable glassware and important features
- odorless, colorless, free of residues
- ISO
- rounded bowl —> aid swirling to release aromas
- inward sloping walls —> to capture those aromas
Sample size
5 cL
Appearance (4)
- Clarity: clear - hazy
- Intensity: pale - medium - deep
- Colour:
Le.-green - lemon - gold - amber - brown
Pink - salmon - orange
Purple - ruby - garnet - tawny - brown - Other observations
E.g. Legs/tears, deposit, pétillance, bubbles
Clarity (2)
clear - hazy (faulty?)
What makes a wine hazy?
Unusually high amount of suspended particles
What is intensity related to colour
How much colour the wine has.
How far the colour extends from the core to the rim
The level of intensity can be assessed by
- holding the glass at a 45 angle and looking through the liquid from above too see how far the colour extends from the core
- looking down through an upright glass at the point where the stem of the glass is attached to the bowl (red)
Intensity (appearance) (3)
pale - medium - deep
Pale
White wine with broad watery rim.
Red wine lightly pigmented from the rim to the core.
Deep
White wine where the pigment reaches almost to the rim.
Red wine intensely pigmented right up to the rim. Impossible to see the stem when looking down through the wine in the bowl.
What is colour
The balance of levels of red/blue/yellow/green/brown found in the wine
Nb! Same through the wine
Colour vs intensity looking through the liquid
The colour does not change when looking through different parts of the wine in a tilted glass.
The intensity of the colour changes because of the different depth of liquid.
Where to judge the colour
White & rose: at the core
Red: near the rim
Colour- white
Lemon-green - lemon - gold - amber - brown
The most common colour for white wines
lemon
Noticeable greenness to the colour
lemon-green
Hint of orange or brown
gold
Noticeable level of browning
amber or brown
Colour - red wine
Purple - ruby - garnet - tawny - brown
Most common colour for red wine
ruby
Noticeable blue or purple colour
purple
Noticeable orange or brown, but still more red than brown
garnet
More brown than red
tawny
No redness in the colour remains
brown
Colour - rose
Pink - salmon - orange
Very pure pink colour
pink
Pink with hint of orange
salmon
Rosé with orange as the dominant colour
orange
Other observations on appearance (4)
- Legs/tears
- Deposit
- Pétillance
- Bubbles
What are legs/tears
Streams of liquid that adhere to the side of the glass after the wine has been swirled
Legs/tears indicate
Sugar or high alcohol —> more viscous
Intensely coloured red wines can have visibly pigmented legs
Deposit can indicate
That the wine is unfined and/or unfiltered
Petillance/ slight carbon dioxide spritz
- Fault (refermentation or malolactic fermentation in the bottle)
- Dissolved carbon dioxide (in some light-bodied, unoaked white wines)
Can bubbles indicate quality?
Not reliably.
Too many factors can affect how the bubbles appear in the glass
I.e: Cleanliness of the wine glass
Nose (4)
- Condition: clean - unclean
- Intensity: light - medium(-) - medium - medium(+) - pronounced
- Aroma characteristics
- Development: youthful - developing - fully developed - tired/past its best
Condition (2)
clean - unclean
Common faults in wine (7)
- TCA (Trichloroanisole)
- Reduction
- Sulfur dioxide
- Oxidation
- Out of condition
- Volatile acidity (VA)
- Brettanomyces (‘Brett’)
TCA
Often tainted cork –> ‘corked’
Damp cardboard, muted fruit flavours, less fresh
Reduction
‘stinky’ character, rotten eggs, boiled cabbage, boiled onions, blocked drains.
Can be pleasant at very low levels. Can dissipate once the bottle is open.
Sulfur dioxide
Added to almost all wines.
High levels: recently extinguished matches.
Low levels: mask fruitiness
Insufficient sulfur dioxide can lead to oxidation.
Oxidation (neg)
Typically caused by a failure of the closure.
Deeper coloured, more brown. Toffee, honey, caramel, coffee, lack freshness & fruitiness.
Out of condition
Too old or stored in bad conditions.
Lost vibrancy & freshness, may taste dull & stale.
Volatile acidity (VA)
All wines have some VA.
Low levels: help make the wine seem more fragrant & complex.
High levels: vinegar, nail polish remover.
Brettanomyces (‘Brett’)
Yeast. Plastic or animal aromas. Sticking plasters, hot vinyl, smoked meat, leather, sweaty horses.
Intensity (Nose) (5)
light - medium(-) - medium - medium(+) - pronounced
Aroma characteristics
e.g. primary, secondary, tertiary
What are Primary Aromas?
Aromas that exist after fermentations. Some come from the grapes and others are created during the fermentation process.
Key questions for Primary Aromas and Flavours.
Are the flavours.. (5):
- delicate or intense?
- simple or complex?
- generic or well-defined?
- fresh or cooked?
- under-ripe, ripe or over-ripe?
A simple wine may show…
… a very limited number of primary aromas, often all within the same cluster
Clusters of Primary Aromas and Flavours (12)
- Floral: acacia, honeysuckle, chamomile, elderflower, geranium, blossom, rose, violet
- Green fruit: apple, gooseberry, pear, pear drop, quince, grape
- Citrus fruit: grapefruit, lemon, lime (juice or zest), orange peel, lemon peel
- Stone fruit: peach, apricot, nectarine
- Tropical fruit: banana, lychee, mango, melon, passion fruit, pineapple
- Red fruit: redcurrant, cranberry, raspberry, strawberry, red cherry, red plum
- Black fruit: blackcurrant, blackberry, bramble, blueberry, black cherry, black plum
- Dried/cooked fruit: fig, prune, raisin, sultana, kirsch, jamminess, baked/stewed fruits, preserved fruits
- Herbaceous: green bell pepper (capsicum), grass, tomato leaf, asparagus, blackcurrant leaf
- Herbal: eucalyptus, mint, medicinal, lavendel, fennel, dill
- Pungent spice: black/white pepper, liquorice
- Other: flint, wet stones, wet wool
Floral (8)
Primary Aromas and Flavours
- acacia
- honeysuckle
- chamomile
- elderflower
- geranium
- blossom
- rose
- violet
Green fruit (6)
Primary Aromas and Flavours
- apple
- gooseberry
- pear
- pear drop
- quince
- grape
Citrus fruit (5)
Primary Aromas and Flavours
- grapefruit
- lemon
- lime (juice or zest)
- orange peel
- lemon peel
Stone fruit (3)
Primary Aromas and Flavours
- peach
- apricot
- nectarine
Tropical fruit (6)
Primary Aromas and Flavours
- banana
- lychee
- mango
- melon
- passion fruit
- pineapple
Red fruit (6)
Primary Aromas and Flavours
- redcurrant
- cranberry
- raspberry
- strawberry
- red cherry
- red plum
Black fruit (6)
Primary Aromas and Flavours
- blackcurrant
- blackberry
- bramble
- blueberry
- black cherry
- black plum
Dried/cooked fruit (8)
Primary Aromas and Flavours
- fig
- prune
- raisin
- sultana
- kirsch
- jamminess
- baked/stewed fruits
- preserved fruits
Herbaceous (5)
Primary Aromas and Flavours
- green bell pepper (capsicum)
- grass
- tomato leaf
- asparagus
- blackcurrant leaf
Herbal (6)
Primary Aromas and Flavours
- eucalyptus
- mint
- medicinal
- lavendel
- fennel
- dill
Pungent spice (3)
Primary Aromas and Flavours
- black/white pepper
- liquorice
Other (3)
Primary Aromas and Flavours
- flint
- wet stones
- wet wool
What are Secondary Aromas?
Created by post-fermentation winemaking
- yeast
- MLF
- oak
Key questions for Secondary Aromas and Flavours.
Are the flavours from.. (3):
- yeast
- MLF
- oak
Clusters of Secondary Aromas and Flavours (3)
- Yeast (lees, autolysis): biscuit, bread, toast, pastry, brioche, bread dough, cheese
- MLF: butter, cheese, cream
- Oak: vanilla, cloves, nutmeg, coconut, butterscotch, toast, cedar, charred wood, smoke, chocolate, coffee, resinous
Yeast (lees, autolysis) (7)
Secondary Aromas and Flavours
- biscuit
- bread
- toast
- pastry
- brioche
- bread dough
- cheese
MLF (3)
Secondary Aromas and Flavours
- butter
- cheese
- cream
Oak (12)
Secondary Aromas and Flavours
- vanilla
- cloves
- nutmeg
- coconut
- butterscotch
- toast
- cedar
- charred wood
- smoke
- chocolate
- coffee
- resinous
What are Tertiary Aromas?
From the ageing processes
- deliberate oxidation
- fruit development
- bottle age
Key questions for Tertiary Aromas and Flavours.
Do the flavours show.. (3):
- deliberate oxidation
- fruit development
- bottle age
Clusters of Tertiary Aromas and Flavours (5)
- Deliberate oxidation: almond, marzipan, hazelnut, walnut, chocolate, coffee, toffee, caramel
- Fruit development (white): dried apricot, marmalade, dried apple, dried banana, etc.
- Fruit development (red): fig, prune, tar, dried blackberry, dried cranberry, etc.
- Bottle age (white): petrol, kerosene, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, toast, nutty, mushroom, hay, honey
- Bottle age (red): leather, forest floor, earth, mushroom, game, tobacco, vegetal, wet leaves, savoury, meaty, farmyard
Deliberate oxidation (8)
Tertiary Aromas and Flavours
- almond
- marzipan
- hazelnut
- walnut
- chocolate
- coffee
- toffee
- caramel
Fruit development (white) (2)
Tertiary Aromas and Flavours
- dried apricot, apple, banana etc
- marmalade
Fruit development (red) (4+)
Tertiary Aromas and Flavours
- fig
- prune
- tar
- dried blackberry, cranberry, etc.
Bottle age (white) (10)
Tertiary Aromas and Flavours
- petrol
- kerosene
- cinnamon
- ginger
- nutmeg
- toast
- nutty
- mushroom
- hay
- honey
Bottle age (red) (11)
Tertiary Aromas and Flavours
- leather
- forest floor
- earth
- mushroom
- game
- tobacco
- vegetal
- wet leaves
- savoury
- meaty
- farmyard
Development (4)
youthful - developing - fully developed - tired/past its best
What is development?
A measure of the balance between primary/secondary aromas and tertiary aromas.
Youthful
Development
The wine is dominated by primary or secondary aromas.
Common that the secondary aromas are not yet fully integrated.
Developing
Development
Most of the aromas in a wine are still primary and secondary, but some tertiary aromas can be detected.
Fully developed
Development
The predominant aromas are tertiary aromas.
Can still be some primary and secondary aromas present.
Secondary aromas fully integrated and may be hard to distinguish from the tertiary aromas.
Tired/past its best
Development
The attractive aromas fade and unpleasant aromas start to develop.
Examples of ‘developing’ wines
Rioja Reservas
Examples of ‘fully developed’ wines
age indicated Tawny Ports
all Sherries
Wines that do not benefit from ageing
(move very rapidly from ‘youthful’ to ‘tired/past its best’ - in some cases in a matter of months)
- most rosés
- most inexpensive whites
- many inexpensive reds
What components can interfere with the impressions made by another on the palate? (Sweetness)
- Alcohol & fruit add to the perception of sweetness
- Acidity can mask sweetness
Tasting, palate & interference:
Aiming to assess the … level of these components, not the … level, by reference to … criteria.
Aiming to assess the ACTUAL level of these components, not the APPARENT level, by reference to OBJECTIVE criteria.
Palate (9)
- Sweetness: dry - off-dry - medium-dry - medium-sweet - sweet - luscious
- Acidity: low - m(-) - m - m(+) - high
- Tannin: low - m(-) - m - m(+) - h
- Alcohol: low - m - h
- Body: light - m(-) - m - m(+) - full
- Mousse: delicate - creamy - aggressive
- Flavour intensity: light - m(-) - m - m(+) - pronounced
- Flavour characteristics: e.g. primary, secondary, tertiary
- Finish: short - m(-) - m - m(+) - long
Sweetness (6)
dry - off-dry - medium-dry - medium-sweet - sweet - luscious
What is sweetness?
The taste of sugars present in the wine
Dry (descr)
Palate - Sweetness
No sugar or levels that are so low that they cannot be detected by the tongue
Off-dry (descr & ex)
Palate - Sweetness
A tiny amount of detectable sugar.
Ex. Alsace Gewurztraminer, Champagne, inexpensive reds and whites
Medium-dry and medium-sweet (descr)
Palate - Sweetness
A distinct presence of sugar, but generally not sweet enough to parner most desserts.
Sweet (descr & ex)
Palate - Sweetness
The presence of sugar has become the prominent feature of the wine.
Ex. Sauternes & Port
Luscious (descr & ex)
Palate - Sweetness
The level of sugar is such that the wines are notably more viscous and the wine leaves the mouth and lips with a sticky sweet sensation after swallowing or spitting.
Ex: Rutherglen Muscats & PX Sherries
Acidity (5)
low - m(-) - m - m(+) - high
Main acids in wine
Tartaric and malic (from the grape juice) or lactic (converted from malic acid in all reds and many whites)
Volatile acidity vs tartaric, malic and lactic acid
Unlike volatile acidity, these acids are odourless and can only be detected on the palate
Where is acidity detected
For most people, acidity is detected most strongly at the sides of the tongue, where it causes a sharp, tingling sensation, and makes your mouth water as it tries to restore its natural acid balance.
Two points to remember when considering the acidity in a wine
- High levels of sweetness and acidity can mask each other
- Alcohol can create a burning sensation similar to acidity
–> mouth-watering effect is always a reliable guide
Tannin (5)
low - m(-) - m - m(+) - h
Tannins are mostly extracted from …
the skins of the grapes during fermentation
What causes the ‘drying sensation’ of tannins?
Tannins bind to your saliva and cause your mouth to dry up and feel rough
What does the tannins contribute to a wine?
Textural richness
Where can the drying sensation from tannins be felt most clearly?
On the gums above your front teeth.
Sometimes a bitter taste that is detected most clearly at the back of your mouth.
Unripe vs ripe tannins
Unripe tannins: tend to be more aggressively astringent
Ripe tannins: contribute more to textural richness
If the tannins are astringent - compare with body of the wine
Thin body: indicate low tannin levels
Full-bodied: good indication of high level of tannins
Alcohol (3)
low - medium - high
Alcohol contributes to the … and … of a wine
Alcohol contributes to the TEXTURE and BODY of a wine
Alcohol is … … than water
Alcohol is MORE VISCOUS than water
Alcohol at high and low levels
higher levels: make a wine seem heavier in the mouth and triggers pain receptors, giving a hot, burning sensation
low levels: wine can seem a bit watery (unless another component brings body, ie sugar)
Alcohol levels in wine
Low: below 11% abv
Medium: 11-13.9% abv
High: 14% abv and above
Alcohol levels in fortified wine
Low: 15-16.4% abv
Medium: 16.5-18.4% abv
High: 18.5% abv and above
Body (5)
light - m(-) - m - m(+) - full
Body/mouthfeel is …
the textural impression created by a wine.
An overall impression created by all the structural components working together.
- Alcohol
- Sugar
- Acidity: higher –> lighter
- Tannin: high –> fuller, low levels of astringent tannins –> thinner
Mousse (3)
delicate - creamy - aggressive
Creamy
Palate - Mousse
Most sparkling wines.
Provide a lively sparkle on the palate without weeming too frothy or aggressive.
Aggressive
Palate - Mousse
Extremely lively, seem to explode on the palate, then lose all their bubbles in one quick blast.
Delicate
Palate - Mousse
Very soft and fine bubbles.
Generally undergone extensive ageing, or bottled at a lower than typical pressure of dissolved carbon dioxide.
Flavour intensity (5)
light - m(-) - m - m(+) - pronounced
Flavour characteristics (3)
e.g. primary, secondary, tertiary
Flavour intensity and characteristics on the nose vs the mouth
The warming of the wine in your mouth can make some characteristics more apparent than they were on the nose. Earthy, spicy, and toasty characteristics tend to be more prominent on the palate.
Fruity and floral characteristics are sometimes less prominent on the palate than they appear on the nose.
Finish (5)
short - m(-) - m - m(+) - long
What is the ‘finish’?
Palate
the collection of sensations after you have swallowed or spat the wine out.
How long the sensations linger is an important indicator of qulity (only the desirable)
Short
Palate - Finish
The pleasant flavours disappear within a few seconds
Long
Palate - Finish
The pleasant flavours last for a minute or more
Conclusions (2)
Assessment of Quality
1. Quality level: faulty - poor - acceptable - good - very good - outstanding
2. Level of readiness for drinking/ potential for ageing: too young - can drink now, but has potential for ageing - drink now: not suitable for ageing or further ageing - too old
Criteria for assessing quality (4)
- Balance: fruit & sugar vs acidity & tannin. How well integrated each of the separate components are
- Intensity: concentration
- Length: how long the finish is
-
Complexity: can come from the primary aromas and flavours alone, or from the combination of these with secondary and tertiary characteristics.
NB! Simplicity is not always negative: sometimes purity and clarity of expression are what make a wine great (ie Icewines)
Quality level (6)
faulty - poor - acceptable - good - very good - outstanding
Level of readiness for drinking/ potential for ageing (4)
- too young
- can drink now, but has potential for ageing
- drink now: not suitable for ageing or further ageing
- too old
‘Drink now: not suitable for ageing or further ageing’
Conclusions - Level of readiness for drinking/ potential for ageing
Mainly shows primary aromas and flavours, light acid or tannin structure
‘Too old’
Conclusions - Level of readiness for drinking/ potential for ageing
Seems like the wine should have been fruity, with a light tannin or acid structure, but has lost its freshness.
May benefit from ageing
Firm structure of acid or tannin, and a sufficient level of flavour concentration.
The aromas and flavours develop away from primary fruit characteristics and towards more tertiary characteristics and the tannins soften.
The alcohol level does not change, and acidity and sugar levels change very little (sweet wines very slowly taste drier as they age)
Make a tentative prediction of how the wine will develop over time, and how much the developments will improve the wine, compared with how it tastes now.
How wines develop in the bottle
The aromas and flavours develop away from primary fruit characteristics and towards more tertiary characteristics and the tannins soften.
The alcohol level does not change, and acidity and sugar levels change very little (sweet wines very slowly taste drier as they age)
‘Can drink now, but has potential for ageing’
Conclusions - Level of readiness for drinking/ potential for ageing
The wine is drinking pleasurably now but will improve positively in the next few years.
‘Too young’
Conclusions - Level of readiness for drinking/ potential for ageing
The wine will be so much better in a few years time that it would be a waste to drink it now.
‘Drink now: not suitable for ageing or further ageing’
Conclusions - Level of readiness for drinking/ potential for ageing
The wine has undergone an ageing process but is close to the end of its drinkable life (any further changes are unlikely to be positive), or it is in decline (the changes that have occurred are beginning to subtract from the quality of the wine).
‘Too old’
Conclusions - Level of readiness for drinking/ potential for ageing
If the wine has declined so far that the negative changes have come to dominate the wine.
