Blind tasting Flashcards
What styles spring to mind when you see effervescence in a wine?
Vinho Verde Muscadet Riesling Sauvignon Blanc Beaujolais Nouveau
What do lighter and paler colours suggest in white wine?
Reductive winemaking
Or
Youthfulness
Or
Cooler climate
Cooler climate white wines are generally confirmed on the nose and palate by…
Fresher aroma profile
Higher acidity
Lower alcohol
Darker, deeper colours in white wine suggest?
Fermentation or maturation in oak
Significant bottle age
Warmer climate
On the nose and palate a warmer climate white wine is generally confirmed by?
Riper aroma profile
Higher extract and alcohol
Lower acidity
Styles of white wine that are particularly light in colour include:
Mosel Riesling Clare Valley Riesling Muscadet Sancerre Chablis Pinot Grigio Hunter Valley Sémillon
Which wine wines often have a pink tinge?
Alsatian Pinot Gris
Gewürztraminer
Which wine wines often have a green tinge?
Youthful Riesling Sauvignon Blanc Chablis Jurançon Grüner Veltliner Albariño
In red wines lighter and paler colours are associated with…
- Thin-skinned grapes such as Pinot Noir, Gamay, Tempranillo
- Cooler climate
- Unripeness
- Younger vines
- Higher yields
- A rainy harvest
- Maturation in oak
- Significant bottle age
Darker, deeper colours in red wine are associated with…
- Thick skinned grapes (Tannat, Malbec, Corvina)
- warmer or sunnier climate
- higher extract or extraction
- youthfulness
A bluish tinge in a red wine suggests…
Gamay
Pinotage
Or youthfulness
What climatic factors are important when determining colour?
Warmth and sunshine
Pinot Noir from Central Otago is typically darker than a red Burgundy
Bordeaux blends from Napa are typically darker than their Bordeaux counterparts
Malbec from Cahors is deep purple, from Mendoza inky black
What is the likely difference in colour between a Malbec from Cahors vs Mendoza?
Malbec from Cahors is deep purple, from Mendoza inky black
Sunshine and warmth increases colour intensity
What is the likely colour difference between a Napa Valley Bordeaux blend and a Bordeaux Bordeaux blend?
Bordeaux blends from Napa are typically darker than their Bordeaux counterparts
Sunshine and warmth increase colour intensity
What is the difference in colour generally between a Pinot Noir from Central Otago and Burgundy?
Pinot Noir from Central Otago is typically darker than a red Burgundy
Sunshine and warmth increase colour intensity
White wines that are fermented in oak are often what colour compared to those fermented in inert vessels?
Darker in colour
What colour do red wines fermented in oak tend to be?
Paler or softer in colour and more red than deep purple
What happens to white and red wines colour wise as they age?
White wines become darker and red wines paler
With increasing age both red and white wines tend towards the same deal they shade of orange brown
What does a pronounced gradient from core to rim (typically red and darker in the core and bronze and lighter at the rim) suggest with red wine?
Significant bottle age
Which young wines can be confused with having significant bottle age?
A young Tempranillo and Nebbiolo can also feature a bronze, brick or rusty red rim which could be confused as suggesting extending bottle age
With Tempranillo and Nebbiolo the graduations are not so subtle and there is less rim variation
What is unusual about Nebbiolo?
It is thick-skinned and tannic yet light in colour
What are the most aromatic of white grape varieties?
Sauvignon Blanc Riesling Gewürztraminer Muscat Albariño Torrontés Viognier
What are more restrained, neutral white grape varieties?
Melon de Bourgogne Pinot Blanc Sémillon Trebbiano Chardonnay in cooler climates
What are the primary fruit flavours associated with cool climate whites?
Citrus and white fruits such as lemon, lime, apple, pear
What are the primary fruit characters of warmer climate whites?
Stone fruits, peach and apricot
Warmer remember if the scale has tropical fruits such as passion fruit, mango and papaya
What style of fruit is expected from cool climate red wines?
Fresh fruit
What style of red fruit is expected from warmer climates?
Baked, stewed or jammy
And at the warmer end of the scale dried fruit and raisins
What is flavour character often a sign of unripeness and therefore cool climate or vintage?
Herbaceous notes. When subtle these can be pleasant
What is the flavour characteristics associated with botrytis or noble rot?
Honeysuckle Honey Beeswax Ginger Faint antiseptic note or musty wine
The intensity of these aromas reflects the degree of botyritization
Where are botrytized wines generally from?
Sauternes in Bordeaux
Coteaux du Layon from the Loire
Tokaji Aszu from Hungary
Spätlese Riesling from Germany
What suggests a wine has been aged in its lees?
Autolytic notes
Yeast
Rising bread dough
Brioche
Biscuit
Accompanied by creaminess on the palate
Why are autolytic notes more prominent in white wines?
As they are masked by skin contact which most red wines have
Varieties that are seldom aged in new oak include?
Riesling (old oak yes) Gewürztraminer Pinot Gris Pinot Grigio Garganega Albariño Zweigelt
What red wines are generally aged in old oak?
Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Bandol
Chianti
Brunello
What tertiary aromas are associated with bottle age?
Mushroom Truffle Wet leaves Leather Coffee Butterscotch
A mature fine wine dominated by tertiary aromas but retaining a core of sweet and juicy fruit is one of the wonders of the world
What can a disconnect between nose and palate mean?
It may reflect poor winemaking or over-maturation
