Tasting Notes d4 Flashcards
1
Q
NV Champagne
A
- “apple and lemon biscuit
- may have notes indicating autolysis, depending on length of lees age (if min —> faint)
- Most will be Brut or drier
- Acidity = M+ to H
- Alcohol = M (~12.5%)
2
Q
Champagne
A
- These wines typically have medium intensity aromas and flavours of apple and lemon fruit with brioche and/or biscuit autolytic notes, high acidity and medium alcohol.
- good to outstanding quality and mid- to premium-priced.
3
Q
Cremant d’Alsace
A
- medium intensity apple and pear fruit with brioche and/or biscuit-like autolytic notes,
- medium (+) to high acidity
- light to medium body.
- Most wines are in the Brut style.
Crémant d’Alsace Rosé can only be made from Pinot Noir. These wines can be of very good quality with medium to medium (+) flavour intensity of red-berried fruit.
4
Q
Cremant d’Bourgogne
A
- Most are white wines made in a Brut style with medium (+) acidity to high acidity.
- The medium intensity fruit ranges from apple and lemon (cooler areas) to apricot (warmer areas), with brioche and/or biscuit autolytic notes.
- In addition to the standard white sparkling wines, Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs and rosé are made.
5
Q
Cremant de Loire
A
- In general, the Chenin Blanc-dominant wines have medium intensity apple and citrus flavours with light toasty autolytic notes.
- Wines with two to three years of age can develop honeyed aromas.
- The wines have high acidity.
- Most wines are Brut in style, but Demi-Sec is also made. Brut Nature is increasingly popular.
- The prices are mainly mid-priced, with a few wines at premium prices.
6
Q
Cava
A
- light to medium intensity lemon, apple and herbal notes, light brioche and/or biscuit autolytic notes
- medium to medium (+) acidity.
- The wines are typically acceptable to good in quality and inexpensive to mid-priced.
- Reserva wines had more autolytic notes and were typically good to very good in quality and mid-priced.
- Gran Reserva wines showed pronounced toasty, smoky autolytic notes and were typically very good to outstanding in quality and premium in price.
7
Q
Prosecco
A
- It has light to medium (-) intensity apple and pear aromas,
- a light body,
- medium to medium (+) acidity
- low or medium alcohol.
- In terms of sweetness, the wines range from Brut to Demi-Sec, with Extra Dry being the most common style.
- They are produced in both fully sparkling (spumante) and lower pressure (frizzante) styles.
- The DOC wines are mainly of light intensity, while the DOCG wines typically show medium intensity and greater definition and range of primary fruit than the DOC wines (pear, apple, peach).
- The price of DOC wines is mainly mid-priced with some inexpensive examples in supermarkets. The DOCG wines are mainly mid-priced, with a few wines at premium prices.
8
Q
Asti
A
- The wines have pronounced aromas and flavours of orange blossom, grapes and peach.
- They have medium acidity,
- and most examples are lower alcohol than most wines
- sweet.
- Asti DOCG (also known as Asti Spumante) is typically slightly higher in alcohol and fully sparkling.
- Moscato d’Asti DOCG is lower in alcohol, is semi-sparkling and typically has higher residual sugar than Asti DOCG.
- The two wines are of good to very good quality and tend to be inexpensive or mid-priced.
9
Q
Lambrusco
A
- The red wines have violet or rose aromas and strawberry, red cherry and red plum fruit,
- medium to medium (+) tannins,
- high acidity and, often, residual sugar;
- most wines are frizzante.
- The colour of the wine ranges from pale pink to deep ruby.
- The quality is mainly acceptable to good with a small number of very good examples and the range in prices is from inexpensive to mid-priced.
10
Q
Franciacorta
A
- The wines typically have ripe apple and peach fruit and prominent brioche and/or biscuit-like, autolytic notes,
- medium alcohol
- medium (+) acidity.
- They are typically very good or outstanding in
- quality and premium-priced.
11
Q
Franciacorta Styles
A
- NV
- Vintage
- Saten
- Rose
- Millesimato
- Riserva
12
Q
Trentodoc
A
- The wines typically have ripe apple fruit and brioche and/or biscuit-like, autolytic notes,
- medium alcohol
- medium (+) to high acidity.
- The wines are typically very good to outstanding in quality and are sold for premium and super-premium prices.
13
Q
Trentodoc Styles
A
- NV
- Vintage
- Rosato
Riserva
14
Q
Sekt
A
- These wines have light intensity fruit and no autolytic notes.
- They are typically made in the Brut or Extra Dry style, with noticeable residual sugar and medium acidity.
- They are acceptable to good in quality and inexpensive in terms of price.
15
Q
Winzersekt
A
- If made from Riesling, these wines combine medium intensity apple and peach fruit with toasty, smoky, autolytic notes.
- They have high acidity
- typically in the Brut style.
- They are very good to outstanding in quality and are mid- to premium-priced.
16
Q
Perlwein
A
- Perlwein, more commonly known as Secco, is made either by the tank method or by carbonation from inexpensive base wine.
- These wines are cheaper in Germany than fully sparkling wine (minimum three atmospheres) as they do not attract tax
17
Q
England + Wales
A
- high acidity,
- medium alcohol
- light to medium body.
- apple and lemon along with autolytic notes.
- This very high acidity and just-ripe fruit are distinctive characteristics.
- The quality is generally very good with some outstanding examples.
- Prices are premium to super- premium. Rosé sparkling wine is also made.
18
Q
USA
A
- Traditional method Chardonnay and Pinot Noir blends are made with quality levels that are good to outstanding and prices from mid to super-premium.
- medium intensity aromas of ripe apple and lemon with brioche and/or biscuit autolytic notes and medium (+) acidity.
- They are typically made in a Brut style.
- A few producers also use Meunier, but this grape is much less commonly used here than in Champagne.
- In addition, tank method wines with additional fruit flavours (raspberry, peach, etc.) and Pet Nat wines are made.
- Tank- fermented wines are often in an Extra Dry style, with noticeable residual sugar. They are inexpensive to mid-priced.
- In addition to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, a wide range of varieties is used for mainly tank method wines, including Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Syrah and Tempranillo.
- Where grapes are grown in warm regions, they are harvested early. The wines may require residual sugar to compensate for under-ripe flavours.
19
Q
Chile
A
- Most wines are made by the tank method and are made to be fruity (Brut and slightly sweeter are most common).
- A small number of traditional method wines are also made.
- The principal varieties used are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc.
- Most wines are inexpensive, with some, especially in export markets, being mid-priced. The wines range from acceptable to very good in quality.
20
Q
Argentina
A
- Tank method wines are fruity and off-dry to medium-dry and are of acceptable to good quality.
- Traditional method wines made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir typically have ripe apple and lemon fruit with light autolytic notes, made in a Brut style.
- They are good to very good in quality. Prices are mostly inexpensive, but some wines are mid- to premium-priced.
21
Q
South Africa
A
- South Africa produces two main categories of sparkling wine. Inexpensive, carbonated sparkling wine, often sweet, is primarily consumed in the domestic market and exported to the sub-Saharan territories, especially Angola, Mozambique and Nigeria. The wines are of acceptable to good quality.
- Traditional method sparkling wine, known as Cap Classique, is a rapidly growing market, and is made principally from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, as well as Chenin Blanc and Pinotage.
- The wines have medium (+) acidity and medium alcohol with ripe apple and citrus fruit with varying levels of autolytic flavours. They are mid- to premium-priced and quality levels are good to very good.
Carbonated wine, made with a range of varieties including Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat and Pinotage, continues to be an important product, mainly for domestic and African consumption. These are simple, fruity wines, often off-dry to sweet.
22
Q
Australia
A
- premium traditional method wines from Australia will have medium (+) to high acidity and medium alcohol. Body and flavour intensity can vary from medium (-) to medium (+) depending on the style and length of lees ageing. The lighter styles will be softly fruity (citrus fruit and apple) whereas the fuller bodied styles typically have prominent autolytic notes. Wines may or may not undergo malolactic conversion, depending on the style wineries wish to make.
- Transfer/tank/carbonation: these wines will have medium to medium (+) acidity, be anywhere on the scale from dry to medium-sweet, low to medium alcohol and light to medium body. The wines tend to be fruity, some intensely so, with anything from citrus fruits to riper peach and apricot fruits as well as the grapey fruit of Moscato. There is little or no autolytic character (just in some transfer wines). The main brands are Brown Brothers, Jacob’s Creek and Yellowglen.
- Sparkling Shiraz: Shiraz wines are deep in colour and may vary from ruby to garnet. They tend to have medium (-) to medium acidity, medium to high alcohol, and medium but ripe and soft tannins, balanced by dosage. It is common for wines to have more than 20 g/L of residual sugar to balance the effects of tannins and high alcohol on the palate. They also tend to be medium- to full-bodied with medium to pronounced intensity. Styles can be distinctly fruity or may have more savoury complexity from extended oak maturation prior to second fermentation. Autolytic notes tend not to be overt as they are masked by other flavours. Some late disgorged wines are available with extended lees ageing, but usually sparkling reds are released after one to two years.
- Moscato: Higher quality, smaller production Moscato is made by the tank method, but most inexpensive to mid-priced Moscato is made by carbonation. Sparkling Moscato is typically low in alcohol with medium acidity and can vary from off-dry to sweet. It
is distinctly fruity in style with classic Moscato grapey flavours. Wines are acceptable to good quality levels. - Australian Prosecco: Prosecco is made predominantly by the tank method to obtain a lightly fruity style. Typically, the wines have medium (+) acidity, medium alcohol, and light to medium body with delicate white peach flavours. It tends to be off-dry to medium-dry. It is predominantly made by small producers with a focus on quality. The quality is good to very good. Some carbonated wine is also made.
- Petnat: It is generally made in small quantities and the wines can be white, rosé or red. In general, these wines can be quite cloudy, with varying levels of pressure from slightly sparkling to fully sparkling. They are usually dry with medium (+) acidity and medium alcohol. Body can vary from light to medium (+) and flavour intensity can vary from medium to pronounced. The wines often have yeasty characteristics along with fruit flavours.
23
Q
New Zealand
A
Traditional method bottle-fermented wines dominate the mid- to premium-priced sector.
* These wines typically offer medium intensity aromas of apple and lemon fruit with light autolytic notes and high acidity.
* They are typically made in a Brut style and are good to very good in quality, with some outstanding examples.
* Some carbonated wines are also made.
