Wine Tasting: Conclusions
The final part of the Systematic Approach to Tasting is the conclusion. This is an assessment of the quality of the wine based on the various aspects of the tasting process we have looked at so far.
When deciding on a conclusion, first ask yourself whether you like the wine, or not. Once you have established this, ask yourself how much and why you like or dislike it.
It is important to remember to be objective when deciding on a conclusion as although the style of a wine may not be to your taste, it can still be of good quality and to the taste of other consumers.
Assuming a wine is not faulty, the following criteria should be taken into consideration when deciding on the conclusion:
Balance
Is the wine well balanced? For example, is the acidity well balanced with sweetness or the flavour characteristics? Are the tannins harsh or soft and do they compliment the body of the wine?
Length
What is the length of the wine like? Do the flavours linger for several seconds? Is the wine balanced and pleasant on the finish? Are there unpleasant flavours on the finish (indicating a poor quality wine)?
Intensity
How well balanced is the intensity of the wine? Is the wine very intense or very light? The intensity should be neither dilute nor too extreme as this can indicate a poor quality wine that would be difficult to drink.
Complexity
A good wine should be complex with several different flavours. These flavours will often not be apparent immediately and you will sometimes find that when you return to the wine you will detect new flavours or characteristics. A lesser wine will usually be ‘one dimensional’, with one or two simple flavours and lacking any complexity.
Expressiveness
A high quality wine will express the characteristics of the grape variety and/or region of production (i.e. climate, soil, winemaking techniques), whereas a lesser wine will tend to be more homogenous and taste as if it could come from anywhere or be made with any grape variety. It is possible, although very rare, to be able to identify the very vineyard the wine comes from, just from the flavours of the wine.
Common Wine Faults
- Badly made
- Cork taint
- Oxidation
- Out of condition