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DISCLOSURE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND CRITICAL CONCLUSIONS IN WINE
TASTING
There are several aspects to consider in the critical
assessment of wine. The first thing to understand is that
wines are volatile and ever changing. Even though an
immediate assessment is made out of the barrel, it will be
just the first in a series of evolving impressions. The
qualities of a wine will surely change throughout the aging
process. Multiple changes in aroma, texture, and
concentration can occur. The taster must keep in mind that
the wine will not settle and will not be ready for final
critique until the bottling stage.
Today there are many winemaking practices in use. Some
techniques are designed to give the wine a more flattering
appeal at the first tasting while other wines remain more
complex at the start and evolve over a period of decades. In
some cases a wine’s excessive density, saturation of flavor,
and use of oak suggests that the wine is more concentrated,
balanced, or even greater in quality, while hiding some of
its disjointed flavors. To a discerning taster those
disjointed flavors are noticeable and become more evident
during the aging process. The taster must make adjustments
at each stage of a wine’s development.
THE
EVALUATION PROCESS
The Review focuses on three types of wine, Red, White, and
Sweet. Usually they are tasted in three different phases.
The initial phase is an analysis of the wine at its debut.
This occurs after the wine has been in the barrel for 4-6
months. The secondary phase is a critique that occurs after
12-13 months of barreling, here the wine’s progress is
evaluated once again. The third phase of analysis takes
place once the wine is bottled. This occurs in the second
year after the wine has been in the barrel for approximately
18-22 months and in the bottle for an additional 4-6 months
(depending on the winemaker’s philosophy).
The initial phase and secondary phase include a written
critique highlighting the features of the wine and a score
range to give consumers an indication of its level of
quality. The third phase of analysis includes a written
critique along with a more conclusive final score which
indicates the degree to which the wine has evolved.
Methods
Appellation Grouping:
Wines are arranged for tasting by appellation, this
maintains consistency on the palate. For example, the wines
of Bordeaux can be completely different from one side of the
river to the other. The taster must emphasize different
senses to identify qualities unique to a given area.
Remember, a critique of individual wines is not the only
goal. Another consideration is the performance of the
appellation as a whole. For the taster, tasting by
appellation allows for a better understanding of the impact
of weather patterns on the soil and the commonly used
techniques within the appellation.
KEYS TO TASTING:
When tasting I
look for three critical elements:
-
Aroma: I
am looking for how forceful and complex the aroma is.
-
Flavor:
The key here is the length of the flavor on the palate
along with the balance of fruit, acidity, and tannin.
-
Texture:
Here I look for the degree of density on the palate.
This is not necessarily a factor in determining the
wine’s quality but it does help to give a wine its
personality.
THE
CONTINUAL ROTATION:
This is a term I use to describe disturbing the wine, it
simply means to twirl it in the glass. The wine has two
phases of aroma, one being evident as the wine sits in the
glass in its resting state. This generally reveals some of
the most seductive aromas that wine consumers enjoy. The
second phase of aroma exposes itself after the continual
rotation of the wine. This reveals some of the most
important and complex aspects of the wine’s aroma. A careful
but separate analysis of both phases is essential for an
accurate assessment.
SAMPLE INTEGRITY:
The sample must be delivered in its freshest form. From the
barrel I request that the wine is immediately corked and
provided to me for analysis within 24-36 hours. For bottled
samples I request a random selection from a property’s
stock.
For on site tastings I request suitable conditions for
sampling the wine which include an indoor room with adequate
lighting, wine at its correct temperature, and tall tasting
glasses. At times samples are submitted to me for off site
tastings. Again, proper lighting, temperature, and glasses
are attained for performing the analysis.
NOTE TO
READERS AND PROPERTY OWNERS
The Periodic Review of Wine is not affiliated with any
property or persons in the wine business. All written work,
including the assessment of wines, published in the Review
is performed independently. It is the policy of the Review
not to disclose the quality of any wine to anyone including
property owners and contacts in the wine trade until the
publication is released. Also, the quality of a wine is not
discussed during tastings. The chief objective is to
determine the quality of each wine and inform the consumer.
View full list of wines
included in the Periodic Review
of Wine.
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