Systematic approach to tasting wine Flashcards
What is purpose of the SAT ?
to develop two fundamental skills
1. ability to describe a wine accurately
2. Ability to make reasonable conclustion based on these description
What are the two scale for clarity fo the wine ?
Clear
Hazy
What are the terms to identify the intensity of the wine in terms of appearance ?
Pale
Medium
Deep
What are the different colours that can defined a red, white and rosé wine?
White wine
- lemon-green
- Lemon
- Gold
- Amber
- Brown
Red wine
- Purple
- Ruby
- Garnet
- Tawny
- Brown
Rosé wine
- Pink
- Salmon
- Orange
What other observations can be made regarding the apperance of a wine ?
Legs or tears
- wine that contain sugar or high alcohol levels are more viscous and have thicker, more persisten legs
Deposit
- Some wine may have a deposit taht can indacte that it is unfined and or unfiltered
Pétillance /Spritz
- Some wine can show a slight carbon dioxide
- Can be a fault or,
- some light-bodied unoaked wines are bottled with dissolved carbon dioxide to add freshness
Bubbles
- Important to sparkling wines
Name the fault of a wine
TCA - Trichloroanisole
Reduction
Sulfur dioxide
Oxidation
Out of condition
Volatile acidity (VA)
Brettanomyces (“brett”)
Explain TCA fault
Trichloroanisole
- Taint gives the wine aromas reminiscent of damp cardboard
- Fruit flavours will be muted
- Wine appear less fresh
- Tainted cork may be at fault
Explain Reduction fault
- Gives a stinky character like rotten egg , boiled cabbage, boiled onions or blocked drain
- Low levels of reduction could be pleasant, adding character and complexity
- Can dissipate once the bottle is open
Explain sulfur dioxide fault
At very high levels, SO2 can give a wine an acrid smell or recently extinguished matches
At low levels, can mask fruitiness of a wine
Insufficient can lead to oxidation
Explain Oxidation fault
Opposite of reduction
Typically due to a failure of the closure, allowing unwanted oxygen to interact with the wine
deeper coloured and more brown than it shoudl be
Aromas of toffee, honey caramel of coffe and lack freshness and fruitiness
Some are made that way and it is not a fault
Explain out of condition fault
Wines have lost vibrancy and freshness
Taste dull and stale
Either because they are too old or have been stored in bad conditions
May be elements of oxidation too
Explain Volatile Acidity (VA) fault
all wines have some volatile acidity as low levels help make the wine seem more fragrant or complex
high levels of VA give the wine aromas of vinegar or nail polish remover
Explain Brettanomyces (brett) fault
A yeast that can give wine plastic or animal aromas reminiscent of sticking plasters, hot vinyl, smoked meat, leather or sweaty horses
Some love it at a low levels, some consider it a fault
What are the terms to describe Intensity of a wine ?
Light
Medium(-)
Medium
Medium(+)
Pronounced
What are the 3 types of aromas ?
Primary aromas
Secondary aromas
Tertiary aromas
What are primary aromas ?
Aromas that exist after fermentation
Some aromas come from the grapes and others are created during the fermentation process
A wine can dispaly many clusters of primary aromas.
What are secondary aromas ?
Aromas created by post-fermentation winemaking
include aromas extracted from oak, from malolactic converstion of as a result of lees contact or autolysis
What are tertiary aromas ?
Aromas have their origin in agein processes
- oxidative due to a long period in oak (coffee, toffee, caramel)
- due to a long period in bottle (petro, honey, mushrooom)
The primary aromas are changing
fruit become less fresh and take dried of cooked character
Explain the 4 steps of development of a wine
Youthful
- dominated by primary or secondary aromas
Developing
- If most of the aromas are still primary and secondary but some tertiary can be detected. If oak is not fully integrated
Fully developed
- If the predominant aromas are tertiary, even if there are still some primary and secondary aromas present
Tired / past its best
- when the attractiev aromas fade and unpleasant aromas start to develop
Explain what is the develop of a wine
Measure of balance betwee primary/secondary aromas and tertiary aromas.
Some wines are aged before release and will never be youthful when put on sale
Not all wines benefit from ageing
What are the terms to describe sweetness in a wine ?
Dry
- no sugar or so low it cannot be detected by the tongue
Off-dry
- tiny amount of detectable sugar
Medium-dry and medium-swet
- wine with a distinct presence of sugar, but not enough sweet to partner most desserts
- Medium sweet wines have ghigher levels of detectacle sugar than medium-dry
Sweet
- Wines where the presence of sugar has become the prominent feature of the wine
Luscious
- Very few wines
- level of sugar is such that the wines are notably more viscous and leaves the mouth and lips with a sticky sweet sensation ex (PX Sherries or Rutherglen muscats)
Describe the concept of acidity in a wine
Main acids in wine are tartaric and malic (from the grape juice) or lactic(converted from mali acid in all reds and many whites)
Acid can be added in the winery
Unlike volatile acidity , there are odourless and can only be detected by the palate
Acidity is detected at the sides of the tongue and makes the mouth water
What are the terms to describe acidity of a wine ?
Low acidity (feel broad, round and soft)
Medium (-)
Medium
Medium(+)
High acidity (especially mouth watering)
What can alter the perception of acidity in a wine ?
- high levels of sweetness and acidity can mask each other
- whatever the level of sugar, the mouth watering effect remains and is always a reliable guide when it comes to judging the level of acidity
Alcohol can create a burning sensation similar to acidity
What are tannins ?
Structural component in red wines that are mostly extracted from the skins of the grapes during fermentation
Tannins bind to your saliva and cause the wine to dry up and feel rough.
Drying sensation can be felt more clearly on the gums above the front teeth. A Bitter taste can also be detected most clearl at the back of the mouth.
Contribute to textural richess of a wine
How can you detect low and high tannins when the astringency is very low of very high ?
Unripe tannins tend to be more astraingent
Ripe tannins contribute to textural richness
If you have astringent tannins, ask yourself if the body of the wine feel thin, if it does, it might be low tannins
If the astringency is low, as yourself if the wine is very full-bodied and mouth-filling. This can be a indication of high level tannins
Low
Medium (-)
Medium
Medium (+)
High
How to detect and assess alcohol?
- Alcohol contributes to the body of a wine, and make a wine seem fuller
- At lower levels, sine can seem watery, onless another component such as sugar gives wine body.
High alcohol level tives a hot burning sensation especially after spitting or swallowing
Can be difficult to separate from acidity
If so, compare the mouth-watering effect and the thickness and viscosity of the wine
What are the average alcohol levels in dry wines?
It is generally rising
Low: below 11%
Medium: 11-13,9%
High: 14% and above
What are the average alcohol levels in fortified wines?
low : 15-16.4 %
medium: 16.5-18.4 %
High : 18,5% and above
What is the body of the wine ? How to assess it?
Textural impression created by all the structural component of a wine
Alcohol, sugar and high tannins adds to body
Acidity and low level of astringent tannins make wines feel lighter
Light
Medium(-)
Medium
Medium(+)
Full
How to assess Mousse in sparkling wine?
most expected is creamy : enough to provide a lively sparkle without seeming too frothy
aggressive mousse is when wines are extremely lively and seen to explode on the palate
delicate in for very sosft and fine mousse, usually the extensively aged wines or, wines bottled with lower level of dissolved carbon dioxide.
Describe the levels of Flavour Intensity
- Light
- Medium (-)
- Medium
- Medium(+)
- Pronounced
How to assess the finish of a wine ?
finish is the collection of sensation after you swallowed the wine
How long the desirable sensation linger in an important quality
short : if the fruit impressions disappear quickly , a few seconds
medium (-)
medium
medium(+)
long : if the flavours can last for a minute or more
On what criteria can you assess the quality of a wine?
Balance
Length
Intensity
Complexity
Explain the balance of a wine ?
fruit and sugar on one side, acidity and tannins on the other side
Increase in fruit or sugar can be brought into balance by an increase acidity or tannin
Alcohol should be well integrated whatever its level and so should aromatic components
Ask yourself : how is the overall balance achieved ? How well integrated are each of the wine’s components ?
Explain the intensity of a wine when assessing quality level ?
Concentration of flavours
Explain the length of a wine when assessing quality level ?
How long the finish is
Generally, intense wine also ahve a long finish
Explain the complexity of a wine when assessing quality level ?
can come from primary aromas and flavoura alone
Combination of these with secondar and tertiary characteristics
Not all premium wines are complex
Explain the quality levels when assessing a wine
outstanding : show positively against 4 critera
**very good ** : Against 3 criteria
good: Against 2 criteria
acceptable : Against 1 criteria
poor: 0 criteria
What are the levels 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
When can you categorize a wine as Too young ?
if you believe that the wine will be so much better in a few years time that it would be a waste to drink it now
ex. Very tannic red wines that need a few years to soften
When can you categorize a wine as Can drink now, but has potential for ageing ?
If you think that the wine is driking pleasurably now but will improve positively in the next few years
When can you categorize a wine as Drink now: not suitable for ageing or further ageing?
when a wine as undergone an ageing process but is close to the end of its drinkable life or if it is in decline
If the wine mainly shows primary aromas and flavours with light acid or tannin structure, and would not benefit from ageing
When can you categorize a wine as Too old?
when the wine should have been fruity with a light tannin or acid structure, but lost its freshness
When the wine as declined so fat the negative changes have come to dominate the wine
What makes a wine age well ?
Firm structure of acid or tannin
Sufficient level of flavour concentration
The aromas and flavours develop away from primary fruit and towards tertiary characteristics, and tannins soften.
Alcohol level does not change and acidity and sugar level change very little
Keep that in mind
