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WSET L2 - Personal cards > General Varietal Characteristics > Flashcards

General Varietal Characteristics Flashcards

1
Q
  • red
  • small, thick, dark skin
  • deep colour
  • full-bodied
  • medium acidity
  • medium-high tannins
  • black fruit (blackberry)
  • dark chocolate
  • moderate regions: herb, smoked meat, spice (black pepper)
  • hot regions: sweet spice (liquorice)
  • animal, vegetal (leather, wet leaves, earth) (aged)
  • oak (toast, smoke, vanilla, coconut)
  • needs moderate or hot climate
A

Syrah

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2
Q
  • red
  • large, thin skins
  • high sugar, low acidity grapes
  • lighter colour
  • very full-bodied
  • red fruit (strawberry, raspberry)
  • spicy (white pepper, liquorice)
  • spicy > toffee, leather (aged)
  • needs a hot climate
A

Grenache

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3
Q
  • white
  • aromatic
  • dry
  • medium-bodied
  • high acidity
  • herbaceous (grass, blackcurrant leaf, nettle)
  • green fruit (gooseberry, elderflower)
  • vegetal (green bell pepper, asparagus)
  • not oaked (usually)
  • oaked (moderate regions) (toast and spice - vanilla, liquorice)
  • prefers cool climate, but tolerates moderate
A

Sauvignon Blanc

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4
Q
  • red
  • deep colour
  • high acidity
  • high tannins
  • strong aromas
  • black fruits (blackcurrant, black cherry)
  • herbaceous (bell pepper, mint)
  • oak (smoke, vanilla, coffee, cedar)
  • needs moderate or hot climate (fuller-bodied, softer tannins, more black cherry, less herb)
A

Cabernet Sauvignon

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5
Q
  • red
  • international style (hot climates or over-ripe grapes in moderate climates):
    • full-bodied
    • low-medium acidity
    • medium (gentle) tannins
    • high alcohol
    • black fruit (blackberry, black plum, black cherry)
    • super-ripe: fruitcake, chocolate
  • more elegant style (moderate or cooler climates)
    • more acidity
    • more tannins
    • red fruit (strawberry, red berry, plum)
    • herb (mint)
  • oak (vanilla, coffee)
A

Merlot

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6
Q
  • red
  • thin skins
  • light colour
  • medium bodied
  • medium-high acidity
  • low-medium tannins
  • red fruit (strawberry, raspberry, cherry)
  • vegetal, animal (wet leaves, mushroom, gamey) (aged)
  • moderate or cool climate (too hot: jammy)
A

Pinot Noir

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7
Q
  • white
  • full-bodied
  • weighty, creamy texture
  • honey, nutty, savoury (aged)

Flavour possibilities:

  • dairy (butter, cream)
  • creamy, savoury
  • oak (toast, vanilla, coconut)

Cool
- green fruit, pear), citrus, maybe cucumber

Moderate
- white stone fruit (peach), citrus, melon

Hot
- tropical fruit (peach, banana, pineapple, mango, fig)

  • cool to hot climates
A

Chardonnay

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8
Q
  • white
  • aromatic, floral
  • light-bodied
  • high acidity
  • intense fruit
  • honey, toast, petrol (aged)

Cool:

  • green fruit (green apple, grape)
  • floral
  • citrus (lemon, lime)

Moderate:

  • citrus
  • stone fruit (peach)
  • fresh lime

Late-harvest:

  • stone fruit (peach, apricot)
  • tropical (pineapple, mango)
  • dry, medium or sweet
A

Riesling

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9
Q
  • white
  • full-bodied
  • dry to off-dry, medium and sweet
  • spicy tropical (ginger, banana, melon)
  • hints honey
A

Pinot Gris (Alsace, New Zealand)

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10
Q
  • white
  • dry
  • light-medium bodied
  • medium acidity
  • neutral character
A

Pinot Grigio (Italy)

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11
Q
  • white
  • medium-bodied
  • high acidity
  • lemon, fennel, bitter almond
A

Verdicchio

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12
Q
  • white
  • high acidity
  • inexpensive neutral whites
  • sometimes varietal
A

Trebbiano

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13
Q
  • white
  • medium-bodied
  • floral (chamomile)
  • green fruit (pear, red apple)
  • white pepper
  • unoaked
A

Soave (Garganega grape)

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14
Q
  • white
  • light-bodied
  • high acidity
  • green apple, citrus
A

Gavi (Cortese grape)

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15
Q
  • white
  • medium-bodied
  • medium sweetness
  • high acidity
  • citrus
  • green fruit (lemon, apple)
  • tropical (pineapple)
  • herb (green leaf)
  • unoaked
  • dry and sweet wintes also make
A

Chenin Blanc

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16
Q
  • white
  • dry
  • medium-bodied
  • medium-high acidity
  • light
  • neutral fruit
  • unoaked
  • maybe labelled “sur lie”
A

Melon Blanc

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17
Q
  • white
  • full-bodied
  • soft
  • aromatic
  • low acidity
  • high alcohol
  • delicate fruit and floral (peach, pear, apricot, violet)
  • spicy notes
A

Viognier

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18
Q
  • white
  • light-medium-bodied
  • high acidity
  • fresh green fruit (apple, pear)
  • citrus (grapefruit)
  • unoaked
A

Albarino

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19
Q
  • white
  • dry
  • also sweet
  • light-bodied (also medium-bodied)
  • high-acidity
  • low alcohol
  • delicate citrus, almost neutral (young)
  • toast, honey, nut (aged)
A

Semillon

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20
Q
  • white
  • perfumed
  • dry, off-dry, medium
  • full-bodied
  • low acidity
  • high alcohol
  • floral perfume (rose, orange blossom)
  • tropical (lychee)
  • stone fruit (peach, grape)
  • musky sweet spices (ginger)
  • honey, nut (some, aged)
A

Gewurztraminer

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21
Q
  • white
  • aromatic
  • dry
  • medium-bodied
  • medium acidity
  • high alcohol
  • fruity, floral (perfume, grapes, peach)
A

Torrontés

22
Q
  • red
  • light-medium-bodeid
  • medium-high acidity
  • low tannins
  • red fruit (strawberry, raspberry, cherry)
  • hint spice (cinnamon, pepper)
  • unoaked
23
Q
  • red
  • medium-full-bodied
  • medium acidity
  • medium tannins (soft)
  • red fruit (strawberry)
  • oaked (sweet coconut, vanilla)
  • animal, vegetal (meat, leather, mushroom) (aged)
A

Tempranillo (Rioja)

24
Q
  • red
  • medium-full-bodied
  • medium acidity
  • black fruit (blackberry, plum)
  • toasty oak
A

Tempranillo (Ribera del Duero)

25
Q
  • red
  • dry
  • deep colour
  • high acidity
  • high tannins
  • intense dark berry (blackberry, blackcurrant)
  • spices (pepper, liquorice)
  • oaked
A

Touriga Nacional

26
Q
  • red
  • full-bodied
  • high acidity
  • high tannins
  • high alcohol
  • red fruit
  • floral, earthy
  • tobacco, mushroom, tar (aged)
27
Q
  • red
  • high acidity
  • medium tannins
  • red fruit
  • black pepper
  • oaked (toast, vanilla, sweet spice)
28
Q
  • red
  • medium-full-bodied
  • high acidity
  • hight tannins
  • plum, earth, red cherries, herbal (green tea)
A

Sangiovese

29
Q
  • red

Inexpensive:

  • light body
  • pale-medium ruby
  • high acidity
  • low tannings
  • sour red cherry

Expensive:
- baked fruit (plums, dried red cherries, prunes)

30
Q
  • red
  • deep colour
  • high acidity
  • medium-high tannins
  • medium-high alcohol
  • black cherry, blackberry, plum
  • jammy black fruit (inexpensive)
A

Montepulciano

31
Q
  • red
  • medium colour
  • medium acidity
  • medium tannins
  • jammy black fruit, liquorice
A

Primitivo

Negroamaro

32
Q
  • red
  • deep colour
  • full-bodied
  • high acidity
  • high tannins
  • complex floral, dark fruit
33
Q
  • red
  • dry (can bee off-dry fruity rosé)
  • full-bodied
  • rich
  • high alcohol
  • black fruit (blackberry)
  • dried fruit (prune, raisin)
  • sweet spice (clove, liquorice)
34
Q
  • red
  • full-bodied
  • medium tannins
  • red fruit (strawberry, raspberry, cherry)
  • vegetal, animal (tar, leather)
  • moderate to hot climates
35
Q
  • red
  • deep colour
  • medium-full-bodied
  • medium-high acidity
  • medium-high alcohol
  • dark fruit (blackberry)
  • peppery spice
  • pungent green bell pepper, green bean (underripe)
  • hot climate
A

Carménère

36
Q
  • red
  • full-bodied
  • medium-high tannins
  • dark fruit (blackberry, black plum)
  • spice (clove, pepper)
  • oaked
37
Q
  • sparkling
  • dry
  • medium body
  • high acidity
  • light alcohol (base)
  • green fruit (green apple) (less expensive)
  • green fruit (apple)
  • citrus (lemon)
  • autolytic (biscuit, bread, toast)
  • vegetal, nutty, honeyed (aged)
A

Champagne

Chardonnay, Meunier, Pinot Noir

38
Q
  • sparkling
  • medium acidity
  • neutral fruit (hint pear)
  • very little autolytic
A

Cava

local varieties

39
Q
  • sparkling
  • red
  • fruity and off-dry; dry and leathery (aged)
  • full-bodied
  • medium acidity
  • intense black and red berry fruit
A

Shiraz sparkling

Australia

40
Q
  • sparkling
  • medium-bodied
  • dry or off-dry
  • delicate stone fruit
  • fully or lightly sparkling
A

Prosecco

Glera

41
Q
  • sparkling
  • sweet
  • light-bodied
  • lower alcohol
  • sweet
  • floral and fruity (peach, grape, rose)
  • fully sparkling
A

Asti DOCG

Muscat

42
Q
  • sparkling
  • dry or medium
  • light-bodied
  • floral and fruity
  • simple
43
Q
  • white
  • sweet
  • full-bodied
  • high alcohol
  • high acidity
  • citrus and stone fruit (lemon, peach)
  • botrytis flavours
  • hint new oak (vanilla, toast, coffee)
  • honeyed (aged)
A

Sauternes AC

Sémillon w/Sauvignon Blanc

44
Q
  • amber
  • sweet (also dry, medium)
  • full-bodied
  • high acidity
  • medium alcohol
  • dried fruits (orange peel, orange marmalade, dried apricots, raisins)
  • sweet spice (cinnamon, ryebread)
  • nut, coffee, caramel, honey (aged)
  • oak ageing
A

Tokaji Aszú

45
Q
  • sweet
  • medium body
  • high acidity
  • low alcohol
  • botrytis flavours
  • dried fruit (dried apricot, raisin)
A

Beerenauslese (BA) and Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA)

usually Riesling

46
Q
  • sweet
  • full-bodied
  • high acidity
  • varietal-fruity flavours
  • syrupy sweetness
47
Q
  • fortified
  • pale
  • dry, but can be sweetened
  • medium-bodied
  • bready notes
  • citrus zest
  • almond
A

Fino (and Manzanilla) Sherries

sweetened = Pale Cream Sherries

48
Q
  • fortified
  • deep amber colour
  • nutty flavours
  • dry, but can be sweetened
A

Amontillado Sherries

49
Q
  • fortified
  • deep brown
  • full-bodied
  • high alcohol
  • intense kernel and animal (roasted nuts, coffee, meat)
  • dry, but can be sweetened
A

Oloroso Sherries

sweetened = Cream Sherries

50
Q
  • fortified
  • sweet
  • almost black
  • full-bodied
  • syrupy
  • intense dried fruit (fig, prune, raisin, sultana)
A

PX (Pedro Ximénez) Sherries

WSET L2 - Personal cards (6 decks)

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