CMS Wine Evaluation Flashcards

1
Q

List the 5 criteria of deductive tasting.

A

Sensory Evaluation
1. Sight
2. Nose
3. Palate

Theoretical Deduction
4. Initial conclusion
5. Final conclusion

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q
  1. Clarity / Visible Sediment.
A

Is the wine clear or does it have any solid matter?
Solids indicate non-filtered, aged wine, or youthful,highly extracted wine

Clear, hazy, turbid

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Name types of sediment in wines.

A

Red wine - color pigment and tannin precipitate with age, soln: decant

White wine - visible tartrates, sometimes on cork, soln: filtration and cold stabilization

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q
  1. Concentration of color.
A

Intensity or depth of the wine’s color

White wine: age (light & bright to gold, amber, brown), barrel use, Botrytis, grape variety, oxidation (deepening color)

Red white: grape variety, color extraction, age (deep to dull & brown)

Pale, medium, deep

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q
  1. Color.
A

Impacted by age, grape variety, storage conditions (oxidation or heat)

White: straw, yellow, gold, amber
Red: purple, ruby, garnet, tawny
Rose: pink, salmon, copper, brown

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q
  1. Secondary color and hues.
A

Indication of age, climate, and grape variety

White wine: silver, green, copper/brassy
Red wine: ruby, garnet, orange, brown, blue

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q
  1. Rim variation.
A

Color difference between the wine at its core and its edge.

Age - youthful red (bright pink & fuchsia) to aged (more variation)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q
  1. Color extraction and staining.
A

Intense extraction of color or staining on the glass

May indicate warm climate, highly pigmented grape variety, or winemaking choices

None, light, medium, heavy (only mention if seen)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q
  1. Tearing.
A

“legs” created by alcohol and/or residual sugar in the wine reacting with the oxygen in the air to create surface tension or tears on the glass

Alcohol indicator, not viscosity

Light, medium, heavy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q
  1. Gas bubbles.
A

Excess CO2 may indicate a flaw, bottled too soon after fermentation at cool temps and/or bottled under screwcap

Only mention if seen

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q
  1. Nose - clean or flawed
A

TCA/corked - wet cardboard, old newspaper
Oxidation - muted & dried aromas
Maderization - cooked
Acetic Acid (VA) - vinegar
Ethyl Acetate (VA) - nail polish remover
Excess Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) - struck match, wet wool
Brettanomyces - Band-Aids, barnyard
Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) & mercaptan - onion, rubber, rotten eggs

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q
  1. Intensity of aroma.
A

Powerful or subtle on first sniff

Low, moderate, high

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q
  1. Age assessment.
A

Youthful - young, bright, primary fresh fruit aroma
Developing - beginning to show signs of age
Vinous - sign of age & oxidation, dried fruit or nutty

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q
  1. Describing fruit aromas.
A

White wine:
Citrus - lemon, lime, grapefruit, orange, tangerine
Apple / pear - green, red, or yellow
Stone fruit - peach, nectarine, apricot
Tropical - pineapple, mango, papaya, passion fruit
Melon - cantaloupe, honeydew

Red wine:
Red fruit - cherry, raspberry, red plum, cranberry, strawberry, pomegranate
Black fruit - blackberry, black cherry, black plum, blackcurrant
Blue fruit - blueberry, boysenberry

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q
  1. Fruit condition or character.
A

Ripe, fresh, tart, baked, stewed or cooked, dried, dessicated, bruised, jammy, candied

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q
  1. Non-fruit character.
A

Grape or winemaking-related

Floral
White wine - yellow (daisy), white (baby’s breath, jasmine, honeysuckle)
Red wine - red (roses), purple (lilac, violet)
Fresh or dried

Vegetal
White wine - bell pepper, jalapeno
Red wine - bell pepper, jalapeno

Herbal or green
White wine - freshly cut grass
Red wine - oregano, sage, thyme

Spices
White wine - white peppercorn
Red wine - black peppercorn

Animal or barnyard
Petrol - fuel or gasoline
Fermentation - ML, carbonic maceration, lees contact
Botrytis - honey, ginger, saffron, mushroom
Leather or tobacco

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q
  1. Earth & mineral character.
A

Earth - forest floor, compost, mushroom, truffle, potting soil, freshly turned earth

Mineral - wet stone, limestone, chalk, slate, flint

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q
  1. Wood or oak.
A

Influenced by size, toast, and age of barrel and type of oak

Cedar, toast, smoke, dried baking spices, cinnamon/ clove/ allspice/ nutmeg, caramel, vanilla, dill, coconut, sawdust, cedar

19
Q

Aromas of French and American oak.

A

French oak - subtle - vanilla bean, dried baking spices, cedar, sawdust

American oak - stronger - caramel, vanilla extract, dill, dried herbs, coconut, sawdust

20
Q

Describe Old World vs New World aromas and flavors.

A

Old World - dominance of earth or mineral character, non-fruit, becomes tart on the finish

New World - dominance of fruit character, stays ripe or gets riper on the finish

21
Q
  1. Palate - evaluate and describe flavor elements.
A

Confirm or add differences from smells on the nose.

Fruit flavor, fruit character, non-fruit flavor, earth, mineral, oak indicators

22
Q
  1. Structure and other elements on the palate.
A

Sweetness & dryness - presence or lack of residual sugar, Bone dry/ Dry/ Off-dry/ Medium-sweet/ Sweet/ Lusciously sweet

Phenolic bitterness (white wine) - skin contact (rare), Yes/ No

Tannin (red wine) - astringency or bitterness, Low / M-/ Medium / M+/ High

Acidity - focus on salivary glands and finish, refreshing, tart, or flabby, Low / M-/ Medium / M+/ High

Alcohol - sensed as heat in nose, throat, and chest, Low / M-/ Medium / M+/ High

Body - feeling of weight on the palate, due to alcohol and glycerin, Light/ Medium/ Full

Texture - feel of the wine on the palate, Lean/ Round/ Creamy/ Rich/ Other

Balance - does any attribute dominate?

Length or finish - how long does the flavor linger, does it change, tart/ bitter/ astringent/ smooth/ silky, Short/ M-/ Medium/ M+/ Long

Complexity - number or aromas and interaction, Low/ M-/ Medium/ M+/ High

23
Q

What are tasting markers?

A

Specific tasting notes that classic grape varieties and wine styles exhibit

Ex. Chablis - N: chalk, T: bone dry, lime peel, white flowers, mineral, M+ acidity

24
Q
  1. Initial conclusion.
A

Possible grape varieties, Old World/ New World, climate, possible countries, age range

25
Q
  1. Final conclusion.
A

Grape variety/ blend, Country of origin, Region/ appellation, Quality, Vintage

26
Q

Describe climate influence on tasting notes.

A

Cool climate - acidity is elevated, alcohol is more restrained, fruit smells and tastes somewhat tart, wine feels linear on the palate

Warm climate - acidity is restrained, alcohol is elevated, fruit seems ripe to jammy, wine feels round and lush on the palate

27
Q

Describe age range influence on tasting notes.

A

Color, rim variation, youth vs vinous aromas & flavors, quality of texture and finish

28
Q

Alcohol Levels

A

Low: 5-10%
M-: 10-11.5%
Med: 11.5-13%
M+: 13.5-15%
High: Over 15%
Fortified: 18%

29
Q

Botrytis

A

Non-fortifed dessert wines

Honeysuckle, overripe stone fruit, toffee, ginger, button mushrooms

Alsace Pinot Gris & Riesling, Loire Chenin Blanc/Vouvray, Sauternes, German Riesling, Hungary Tokaji Aszu

30
Q

Brettanomyces

A

Yeast in vineyard soils or barrels

Leather, barnyard, Band-Aids

Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone

31
Q

Carbonic Maceration

A

Winemaking technique - max color & fruit, min tannin

Jolly rancher, banana, Hawaiian Punch

Beaujolais Gamay

32
Q

Diacetyl

A

ML

Butter, cream, dairy

Chardonnay, Viognier

33
Q

Lees

A

Lees autolysis

Yeast, brioche, bread dough, toast

Chardonnay, Muscadet, Pinot Grigio, Gruner Veltliner, Albarino, Riesling, sparkling wine

34
Q

New oak

A

Vanilla, baking spices, chocolate, coconut, dill, smoke, toast, coffee, tea

Cab, Tempranillo

35
Q

Phenolic bitterness

A

White wines, grape skin contact before/during/after fermentation

Bitter, oily, raw almond aftertaste

Albarino, Gruner Veltliner, AA Pinot Grigio, Alsace Pinot Gris, Viognier, Gewurztraminer

36
Q

Pyrazines

A

Green bell pepper, asparagus, cut grass

Sauvignon Blanc, Cab Sauv, Merlot, Cab Franc, Petite Verdot, Carmenere

37
Q

Raisination

A

Unevenly ripened, overripe or dried grapes

Zinfandel, Amarone

38
Q

Rotundone

A

In grape skins, peppery note

Gruner Veltliner, Syrah, Shiraz, N. Rhone, Grenache

39
Q

Stem inclusion

A

Whole cluster fermentation

Green, woody

Burgundy, Beaujolais

40
Q

TDN

A

Shorter, warmer ripening cycle

Petrol

Riesling

41
Q

Terpenes

A

Aromatic floral & sweet citrus

Albarino, Riesling, Viognier, Gewurztraminer, Torrontes

42
Q

Thiols

A

Thiols (Sulphur) in ripe grapes to volatile mercaptan

Rubber, garlic, onions

43
Q

Volatile Acidity

A

Acetic acid ( vinegar), ethyl acetate (nail polish remover)

Amarone, Gran Riserva Rioja