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My wine tours

slower the tears descend, indicating greater adherence, the higher
the sugar content).

3. The taste
Taste examination is influenced by the different parts of
our tongue, which have the ability to discern sweetness,
saltiness, acidity and bitterness. Tannins (red wine only) are
detected by the gums. This is one of the reasons why we
recommend swirling the wine around in the mouth.
There are three steps to tasting:
✓ The attack: the first taste.
Detects sweetness.
✓ Mid-palate: the wine is kept in the mouth for a couple of
seconds.
Detects acidity or smoothness and creaminess.
✓ The finale: what’s left when you spit (or swallow the wine).
Detects bitterness and length in the mouth (number
of caudalies ).
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A good wine must have a good balance between these
different elements. Tannins dry out the wine, acidity adds
freshness, and smoothness gives a sensation of fatness.
To differentiate between an everyday wine and a good wine
(grand cru), we need to analyse the following points :
✓ The balance
✓ The length in the mouth
✓ The complexity
✓ The expression

147 In oenology, a caudalie is a unit of measurement that expresses the duration
of expression of wine aromas in the mouth, measured after swallowing or
spitting out the wine during tasting. It is expressed in seconds..
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