1 - The Systematic Approach to Tasting Wine Flashcards
(146 cards)
1
Q
The purpose of the SAT (2)
A
Develop 2 fundamental skills
The ability to
1. describe a wine accurately
2. make reasonable conclusions based on these descriptions
2
Q
The format of the SAT
A
3 parts
Sections
Category headings, terms
- 3 sections: Appearance, Nose, Palate —> descriptive
- Conclusions —> evaluative
- Wine-lexicon —> support
3
Q
Using the SAT, calibrate palate
1. identify…
2. Draw …
3. Being able to …
A
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
4
Q
Hyphenated lines -
A
Select only one of the terms
5
Q
‘E.g.’ lines
A
Not restricted to the terms, but strongly encouraged
6
Q
Using the Scales
A
5-point scale, but not equal parts
Medium is subdivided into three equal parts: medium(-), medium, medium(+)
7
Q
Suitable tasting environment (4)
A
- Good natural lighting—> for judging the appearance
- Odour free —> to avoid interfering with wine aromas
- Sufficient space —> wine glasses and notes
- Spittoons
8
Q
Prepare yourself for tasting (4)
A
- Clean palate
- Well hydrated
- Record notes
- Suitable glassware & sample
9
Q
Suitable glassware and important features
A
- odorless, colorless, free of residues
- ISO
- rounded bowl —> aid swirling to release aromas
- inward sloping walls —> to capture those aromas
10
Q
Sample size
A
5 cL
11
Q
Appearance (4)
A
- 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
12
Q
Clarity (2)
A
clear - hazy (faulty?)
13
Q
What makes a wine hazy?
A
Unusually high amount of suspended particles
14
Q
What is intensity related to colour
A
How much colour the wine has.
How far the colour extends from the core to the rim
15
Q
The level of intensity can be assessed by
A
- 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)
16
Q
Intensity (appearance) (3)
A
pale - medium - deep
17
Q
Pale
A
White wine with broad watery rim.
Red wine lightly pigmented from the rim to the core.
18
Q
Deep
A
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.
19
Q
What is colour
A
The balance of levels of red/blue/yellow/green/brown found in the wine
Nb! Same through the wine
20
Q
Colour vs intensity looking through the liquid
A
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.
21
Q
Where to judge the colour
A
White & rose: at the core
Red: near the rim
22
Q
Colour- white
A
Lemon-green - lemon - gold - amber - brown
23
Q
The most common colour for white wines
A
lemon
24
Q
Noticeable greenness to the colour
A
lemon-green
25
Hint of orange or brown
gold
26
Noticeable level of browning
amber or brown
27
Colour - red wine
Purple - ruby - garnet - tawny - brown
28
Most common colour for red wine
ruby
29
Noticeable blue or purple colour
purple
30
Noticeable orange or brown, but still more red than brown
garnet
31
More brown than red
tawny
32
No redness in the colour remains
brown
33
Colour - rose
Pink - salmon - orange
34
Very pure pink colour
pink
35
Pink with hint of orange
salmon
36
Rosé with orange as the dominant colour
orange
37
Other observations on appearance (4)
1. Legs/tears
2. Deposit
3. Pétillance
4. Bubbles
38
What are legs/tears
Streams of liquid that adhere to the side of the glass after the wine has been swirled
39
Legs/tears indicate
Sugar or high alcohol —> more viscous
Intensely coloured red wines can have visibly pigmented legs
40
Deposit can indicate
That the wine is unfined and/or unfiltered
41
Petillance/ slight carbon dioxide spritz
- Fault (refermentation or malolactic fermentation in the bottle)
- Dissolved carbon dioxide (in some light-bodied, unoaked white wines)
42
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
43
Nose (4)
1. Condition: clean - unclean
2. Intensity: light - medium(-) - medium - medium(+) - pronounced
3. Aroma characteristics
4. Development: youthful - developing - fully developed - tired/past its best
44
Condition (2)
clean - unclean
45
Common faults in wine (7)
- TCA (Trichloroanisole)
- Reduction
- Sulfur dioxide
- Oxidation
- Out of condition
- Volatile acidity (VA)
- Brettanomyces ('Brett')
46
TCA
Often tainted cork --> 'corked'
| Damp cardboard, muted fruit flavours, less fresh
47
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.
48
Sulfur dioxide
Added to almost all wines.
High levels: recently extinguished matches.
Low levels: mask fruitiness
Insufficient sulfur dioxide can lead to oxidation.
49
Oxidation (neg)
Typically caused by a failure of the closure.
| Deeper coloured, more brown. Toffee, honey, caramel, coffee, lack freshness & fruitiness.
50
Out of condition
Too old or stored in bad conditions.
| Lost vibrancy & freshness, may taste dull & stale.
51
Volatile acidity (VA)
All wines have some VA.
Low levels: help make the wine seem more fragrant & complex.
High levels: vinegar, nail polish remover.
52
Brettanomyces ('Brett')
Yeast. Plastic or animal aromas. Sticking plasters, hot vinyl, smoked meat, leather, sweaty horses.
53
Intensity (Nose) (5)
light - medium(-) - medium - medium(+) - pronounced
54
Aroma characteristics
e.g. primary, secondary, tertiary
55
What are Primary Aromas?
Aromas that exist after fermentations. Some come from the grapes and others are created during the fermentation process.
56
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?
57
A simple wine may show...
... a very limited number of primary aromas, often all within the same cluster
58
Clusters of Primary Aromas and Flavours (12)
1. **Floral**: acacia, honeysuckle, chamomile, elderflower, geranium, blossom, rose, violet
2. **Green fruit**: apple, gooseberry, pear, pear drop, quince, grape
3. **Citrus fruit**: grapefruit, lemon, lime (juice or zest), orange peel, lemon peel
4. **Stone fruit**: peach, apricot, nectarine
5. **Tropical fruit**: banana, lychee, mango, melon, passion fruit, pineapple
6. **Red fruit**: redcurrant, cranberry, raspberry, strawberry, red cherry, red plum
7. **Black fruit**: blackcurrant, blackberry, bramble, blueberry, black cherry, black plum
8. **Dried/cooked fruit**: fig, prune, raisin, sultana, kirsch, jamminess, baked/stewed fruits, preserved fruits
9. **Herbaceous**: green bell pepper (capsicum), grass, tomato leaf, asparagus, blackcurrant leaf
10. **Herbal**: eucalyptus, mint, medicinal, lavendel, fennel, dill
11. **Pungent spice**: black/white pepper, liquorice
12. **Other**: flint, wet stones, wet wool
59
Floral (8)
| Primary Aromas and Flavours
1. acacia
2. honeysuckle
3. chamomile
4. elderflower
5. geranium
6. blossom
7. rose
8. violet
60
Green fruit (6)
| Primary Aromas and Flavours
1. apple
2. gooseberry
3. pear
4. pear drop
5. quince
6. grape
61
Citrus fruit (5)
| Primary Aromas and Flavours
1. grapefruit
2. lemon
3. lime (juice or zest)
4. orange peel
5. lemon peel
62
Stone fruit (3)
| Primary Aromas and Flavours
1. peach
2. apricot
3. nectarine
63
Tropical fruit (6)
| Primary Aromas and Flavours
1. banana
2. lychee
3. mango
4. melon
5. passion fruit
6. pineapple
64
Red fruit (6)
| Primary Aromas and Flavours
1. redcurrant
2. cranberry
3. raspberry
4. strawberry
5. red cherry
6. red plum
65
Black fruit (6)
| Primary Aromas and Flavours
1. blackcurrant
2. blackberry
3. bramble
4. blueberry
5. black cherry
6. black plum
66
Dried/cooked fruit (8)
| Primary Aromas and Flavours
1. fig
2. prune
3. raisin
4. sultana
5. kirsch
6. jamminess
7. baked/stewed fruits
8. preserved fruits
67
Herbaceous (5)
| Primary Aromas and Flavours
1. green bell pepper (capsicum)
2. grass
3. tomato leaf
4. asparagus
5. blackcurrant leaf
68
Herbal (6)
| Primary Aromas and Flavours
1. eucalyptus
2. mint
3. medicinal
4. lavendel
5. fennel
6. dill
69
Pungent spice (3)
| Primary Aromas and Flavours
1. black/white pepper
3. liquorice
70
Other (3)
| Primary Aromas and Flavours
1. flint
2. wet stones
3. wet wool
71
What are Secondary Aromas?
Created by post-fermentation winemaking
- yeast
- MLF
- oak
72
Key questions for Secondary Aromas and Flavours.
Are the flavours from.. (3):
1. yeast
2. MLF
3. oak
73
Clusters of Secondary Aromas and Flavours (3)
1. **Yeast (lees, autolysis)**: biscuit, bread, toast, pastry, brioche, bread dough, cheese
2. **MLF**: butter, cheese, cream
3. **Oak**: vanilla, cloves, nutmeg, coconut, butterscotch, toast, cedar, charred wood, smoke, chocolate, coffee, resinous
74
Yeast (lees, autolysis) (7)
| Secondary Aromas and Flavours
1. biscuit
2. bread
3. toast
4. pastry
5. brioche
6. bread dough
7. cheese
75
MLF (3)
| Secondary Aromas and Flavours
1. butter
2. cheese
3. cream
76
Oak (12)
| Secondary Aromas and Flavours
1. vanilla
2. cloves
3. nutmeg
4. coconut
5. butterscotch
6. toast
7. cedar
8. charred wood
9. smoke
10. chocolate
11. coffee
12. resinous
77
What are Tertiary Aromas?
From the ageing processes
- deliberate oxidation
- fruit development
- bottle age
78
Key questions for Tertiary Aromas and Flavours.
Do the flavours show.. (3):
1. deliberate oxidation
2. fruit development
3. bottle age
79
Clusters of Tertiary Aromas and Flavours (5)
1. **Deliberate oxidation**: almond, marzipan, hazelnut, walnut, chocolate, coffee, toffee, caramel
2. **Fruit development (white)**: dried apricot, marmalade, dried apple, dried banana, etc.
3. **Fruit development (red)**: fig, prune, tar, dried blackberry, dried cranberry, etc.
4. **Bottle age (white)**: petrol, kerosene, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, toast, nutty, mushroom, hay, honey
5. **Bottle age (red)**: leather, forest floor, earth, mushroom, game, tobacco, vegetal, wet leaves, savoury, meaty, farmyard
80
Deliberate oxidation (8)
| Tertiary Aromas and Flavours
1. almond
2. marzipan
3. hazelnut
4. walnut
5. chocolate
6. coffee
7. toffee
8. caramel
81
Fruit development (white) (2)
| Tertiary Aromas and Flavours
1. dried apricot, apple, banana etc
2. marmalade
82
Fruit development (red) (4+)
| Tertiary Aromas and Flavours
1. fig
2. prune
3. tar
4. dried blackberry, cranberry, etc.
83
Bottle age (white) (10)
| Tertiary Aromas and Flavours
1. petrol
2. kerosene
3. cinnamon
4. ginger
5. nutmeg
6. toast
7. nutty
8. mushroom
9. hay
10. honey
84
Bottle age (red) (11)
| Tertiary Aromas and Flavours
1. leather
2. forest floor
3. earth
4. mushroom
5. game
6. tobacco
7. vegetal
8. wet leaves
9. savoury
10. meaty
11. farmyard
85
Development (4)
youthful - developing - fully developed - tired/past its best
86
What is development?
A measure of the balance between primary/secondary aromas and tertiary aromas.
87
Youthful
| Development
The wine is dominated by primary or secondary aromas.
Common that the secondary aromas are not yet fully integrated.
88
Developing
| Development
Most of the aromas in a wine are still primary and secondary, but some tertiary aromas can be detected.
89
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.
90
Tired/past its best
| Development
The attractive aromas fade and unpleasant aromas start to develop.
91
Examples of 'developing' wines
Rioja Reservas
92
Examples of 'fully developed' wines
age indicated Tawny Ports
all Sherries
93
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
94
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
95
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.
96
Palate (9)
1. **Sweetness**: dry - off-dry - medium-dry - medium-sweet - sweet - luscious
2. **Acidity**: low - m(-) - m - m(+) - high
3. **Tannin**: low - m(-) - m - m(+) - h
4. **Alcohol**: low - m - h
5. **Body**: light - m(-) - m - m(+) - full
6. **Mousse**: delicate - creamy - aggressive
7. **Flavour intensity**: light - m(-) - m - m(+) - pronounced
8. **Flavour characteristics**: e.g. primary, secondary, tertiary
9. **Finish**: short - m(-) - m - m(+) - long
97
Sweetness (6)
dry - off-dry - medium-dry - medium-sweet - sweet - luscious
98
What is sweetness?
The taste of sugars present in the wine
99
Dry (descr)
| Palate - Sweetness
No sugar or levels that are so low that they cannot be detected by the tongue
100
Off-dry (descr & ex)
| Palate - Sweetness
A tiny amount of detectable sugar.
Ex. Alsace Gewurztraminer, Champagne, inexpensive reds and whites
101
Medium-dry and medium-sweet (descr)
| Palate - Sweetness
A distinct presence of sugar, but generally not sweet enough to parner most desserts.
102
Sweet (descr & ex)
| Palate - Sweetness
The presence of sugar has become the prominent feature of the wine.
Ex. Sauternes & Port
103
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
104
Acidity (5)
low - m(-) - m - m(+) - high
105
Main acids in wine
**Tartaric** and **malic** (from the grape juice) or **lactic** (converted from malic acid in all reds and many whites)
106
Volatile acidity vs tartaric, malic and lactic acid
Unlike volatile acidity, these acids are odourless and can only be detected on the palate
107
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.
108
Two points to remember when considering the acidity in a wine
1. High levels of sweetness and acidity can mask each other
2. Alcohol can create a burning sensation similar to acidity
--> mouth-watering effect is always a reliable guide
109
Tannin (5)
low - m(-) - m - m(+) - h
110
Tannins are mostly extracted from ...
the skins of the grapes during fermentation
111
What causes the 'drying sensation' of tannins?
Tannins bind to your saliva and cause your mouth to dry up and feel rough
112
What does the tannins contribute to a wine?
Textural richness
113
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.
114
Unripe vs ripe tannins
Unripe tannins: tend to be more aggressively astringent
Ripe tannins: contribute more to textural richness
115
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
116
Alcohol (3)
low - medium - high
117
Alcohol contributes to the ... and ... of a wine
Alcohol contributes to the **TEXTURE** and **BODY** of a wine
118
Alcohol is ... ... than water
Alcohol is **MORE VISCOUS** than water
119
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)
120
Alcohol levels in wine
Low: below 11% abv
Medium: 11-13.9% abv
High: 14% abv and above
121
Alcohol levels in fortified wine
Low: 15-16.4% abv
Medium: 16.5-18.4% abv
High: 18.5% abv and above
122
Body (5)
light - m(-) - m - m(+) - full
123
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
124
Mousse (3)
delicate - creamy - aggressive
125
Creamy
| Palate - Mousse
Most sparkling wines.
Provide a lively sparkle on the palate without weeming too frothy or aggressive.
126
Aggressive
| Palate - Mousse
Extremely lively, seem to explode on the palate, then lose all their bubbles in one quick blast.
127
Delicate
| Palate - Mousse
Very soft and fine bubbles.
Generally undergone extensive ageing, or bottled at a lower than typical pressure of dissolved carbon dioxide.
128
Flavour intensity (5)
light - m(-) - m - m(+) - pronounced
129
Flavour characteristics (3)
e.g. primary, secondary, tertiary
130
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.
131
Finish (5)
short - m(-) - m - m(+) - long
132
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)
133
Short
| Palate - Finish
The pleasant flavours disappear within a few seconds
134
Long
| Palate - Finish
The pleasant flavours last for a minute or more
135
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
136
Criteria for assessing quality (4)
1. **Balance**: fruit & sugar vs acidity & tannin. How well integrated each of the separate components are
2. **Intensity**: concentration
3. **Length**: how long the finish is
4. **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)
137
Quality level (6)
faulty - poor - acceptable - good - very good - outstanding
138
Level of readiness for drinking/ potential for ageing (4)
1. too young
2. can drink now, but has potential for ageing
3. drink now: not suitable for ageing or further ageing
4. too old
139
'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
140
'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.
141
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.
142
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)
143
'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.
144
'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.
145
'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).
146
'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.
