Tasting

Wine tasting is the sensory examination and evaluation of wine. Wines are made up of chemical compounds similar or identical to those in fruits, vegetables, and spices. The sweetness of wine is determined by the amount of residual sugar in the wine after fermentation, relative to the acidity present in the wine. Dry wine, for example, has only a small amount of residual sugar.
Individual flavors may also be detected, due to the complex mix of organic molecules such as esters and terpenes that grape juice and wine can contain. Experienced tasters can distinguish between flavors characteristic of a specific grape and flavors that result from other factors in wine making. Typical intentional flavor elements in wine are those imparted by aging in oak casks; chocolate, vanilla, or coffee almost always come from the oak and not the grape itself.^[46]
Banana flavors (isoamyl acetate) are the product of yeast metabolism, as are spoilage aromas such as sweaty, barnyard, band-aid (4-ethylphenol and 4-ethylguaiacol),^[47] and rotten egg (hydrogen sulfide).^[48] Some varietals can also have a mineral flavor due to the presence of water-soluble salts (like limestone).
Wine aroma comes from volatile compounds in the wine that are released into the air.^[49] Vaporization of these compounds can be sped up by twirling the wine glass or serving the wine at room temperature. For red wines that are already highly aromatic, like Chinon and Beaujolais, many people prefer them chilled.^[50]

Collecting

Outstanding vintages from the best vineyards may sell for thousands of dollars per bottle, though the broader term fine wine covers bottles typically retailing at over about US$30–50.^[51] "Investment wines" are considered by some to be Veblen goods—that is, goods for which demand increases instead of decreases as its price rises. The most common wines purchased for investment include those from Bordeaux, Burgundy, cult wines from Europe and elsewhere, and Vintage port. Characteristics of highly collectible wines include:

1. A proven track record of holding well over time
2. A drinking window plateau (i.e., the period for maturity and approachability) that is many years long
3. A consensus amongst experts as to the quality of the wines
4. Rigorous production methods at every stage, including grape selection and appropriate barrel-aging

Investment in fine wine has attracted fraudsters who prey on their victims' ignorance of this sector of the wine market.^{[citation needed]} Wine fraudsters often work by charging excessively high prices for off-vintage or lower-status wines from famous wine regions, while claiming that they are offering a sound investment unaffected by economic cycles.^{[citation needed]}Like any investment, proper research is essential before investing.

Lucien Albrecht Weid Pinot noir 2004

Alsace, France. Pinot noir. 13%. Cork (mostly stained). Approx $A50-70 (lost receipt).

I have been tasting wine, though perhaps with less focus and attention than usual. Presumably this is a comma rather than a full stop. . . In the last 36 hours, three stand out bottles, the 06 Bindi Original - has improved - it is caressing and rich and certainly more adolescent than middle aged. The 02 Grosset Polish Hill is glorious and if possible it seems to have intensified. Finally a Pinot from Alsace, which in far away Perth at least, is still an oddity.

Lovely. A satisfying combination of savouriness and structure. Stalk and stem on the nose, paired with spice and earth, while in the mouth it is sappy, well paced and tight before eventually unfurling. 92. Now - 2014+

Dada 1 2007

New Zealand. White Blend (Sauvignon blanc, Gewürztraminer, Viognier). 14%. Diam. Approx $A65.

If you build it, they will come.

I had not particular preconceptions, the label certainly gives little away. . . an obsessive idea which has become quite a delicious and exemplary wine. Pale and pert, this is wonderfully clean, fresh and evocative. Musk and grape skin, grass, gooseberry and flint. It smells of Sauvignon, but not clearly from this hemisphere. . . Lean and tight, green apple freshness, but cut with stones and mineral and something fleshy and formidable. A wonderful wine. I wish I had more. . . 93-95. Now - 2013 +

A broccolini salad

An improvised salad, based on the premise that pancetta, broad beans and feta make a lovely Ménage à trois.

Ingredients:

• 12 thin slices of pancetta
• 3 slices of prosciutto
• 2 small bunches of brococolini - ends trimmed and peeled if desired
• 500g bag of frozen broad beans (it is Autumn)
• 2 small handfuls of baby chard leaves
• 1 bunch of mint
• small handful of parsley
• 100g of feta - diced (5mm cubes) or crumbled
• olive oil
• 1 lemon

How?

(1) Fry the pancetta and prosciutto in a pan with a splash of olive oil. You could of course use either on its own. When suitably crisp, set aside. (2) Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add the broccolini and a tablespoon of salt. Boil and cook for a few minutes, no more, removing the florets and refreshing in cold water, before setting aside in a large bowl and tossing with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice. (3) To the same pot of boiling water (once the broccolini has been removed) add the frozen broad beans and after 1-2 minutes, strain and remove, before once again refreshing under cold water. Remove the beans from their grey/white pods and place the podded beans in the same bowl as the broccolini. (4) Take a handful of the larger mint leaves and pound in a mortar and pestle. Once bruised and crushed, add the juice of half a lemon and a similar amount of olive oil. Add two thirds of this to the resting broad beans and broccolini and toss. (5) Now construct the salad. Layer the chard, the cooked and dressed vegetables, some feta and crumble some of the pancetta. Repeat as needed and the dress with the smaller mint leaves, the parsley and sprinkle with the remains of the mint / lemon dressing.

Caudalie

I toyed with the idea, of keeping this image for a suitably austere, pinpoint and intense young Riesling. It's a cliché I've mostly avoided, though I can see the appeal. The word laser seems to capture and indicate something modern, undiluted, focused and linear.

I suspect opponents of the 100 point scale and wine scores in general, will not like the notion of caudalie. As most doctors and Latin buffs will tell you, cauda means tail. The caudalie is the unit for measurement of aftertaste. 1 cadualie = 1 second of aftertaste. Even for an inhabitant of Nerdistan, it seems superfluous and overly prone to inter and intra-observer variability.

Lucy Margaux Little Creek Pinot noir 2010

Adelaide Hills, South Australia. Pinot noir. 13.8%. Diam. Approx $A40

Of the three I've tried from this stable, this is the one for me. Though it seems the beauty is greatest on opening and by nights end it is less flattering and more utilitarian.

Strawberry and plum, spiced oak, earth and much latter, rubber and stalk. Wonderful texture and layered complexity. Filmy and slippery, the acid is better balanced and this is curved instead of angular. The tannins are multifaceted - at times malt like and then inky and spiced, they define rather than rule. A momentarily gorgeous wine. 92. Now - 2012.