Criteria for Evaluating and Reviewing Wines

This is the very first blog for the Portland Wine Review and I would like to take the time to set the stage for my own evaluations. I'm basing my criteria on the information from the WSET (Wine Spirits and Education Trust) advanced level text book and their official tasting sheets (which can be obtained in a PDF format from the link at the bottom of this blog). This is the most recent course I have taken and is the foundation for my continual wine education. Each author has some formal wine training as well as a lot of experience in the business, but please understand that each of us will have our own style of evaluation and even though we are trying to be as objective as possible, each persons' senses, and personal tastes are unique and will influence the different assessments. With that said I have outlined each section with brief descriptions of the sections, but please refer to the official WSET tasting sheets that cover each section (with the exception of wine preparations). This is the format I have used during my courses, and continue to use since it provides definitive points of evaluation. I have posted a link for the tasting sheets at the end of this blog because they are a great reference since they provide the full ranges for each section. Thank you for reading the Portland Wine Review Blog.

--Galen

Wine Preparations

• Temperature- All wines will be tasted at room temperature for initial reviews, however the reviewer may chill the wine after the first assessment as to note any changes.

• Aeration- Some wines require decanting however to be as fair as possible the initial review will be a "pop-and-pour." Again the reviewer may chose to use any method to aerate the wine after the first assessment as to note any changes.
  

• Foods- Some wines really need to be accompanied by food to show their true potential, but once again the reviewer will evaluate the wine first, then have the option to pair it with food and note the changes.

Appearance

• Clarity- In terms of wine appearance is very important. Cloudiness could be an indication of a flaw in the wine or it could indicate various forms of filtration or non-filtration, sediment due to age, etc. Range: Clear, Dull.
  

• Intensity of Color- Can tell a lot about the wine. what grape(s) used, the method of production, age, etc. Range: Water White, Pale, Medium, Deep, Opaque
  

• Color- The differences in color is another facet of evaluation that will again be used to review the grape(s) used, the method of production, age, etc. Range: White Wines- Colorless, Lemon/Green, Lemon, Gold, Amber, Brown. Rose Wines- Pink, Salmon, Orange. Red Wines- Purple, Ruby, Garnet, Tawny, Brown.
  

• Other Observations- Are there other features of the wine's appearance that are worthy of noting? I.E. Rim vs. Core color, tears/legs, deposits, petillance, tints/highlights, etc

Nose

• Condition- This is a reference to any possible faults in the wine that were the result of storage, and without getting too technical, the idea of this section is to determine whether this wine corked or not. Range: Clean, Unclean (referring to faults such as oxidized, out of condition, cork taint, other)
  

• Intensity- This section is used to determine the aroma intensity of the wine. Range: Light, Medium -, Medium, Medium +, Pronounced.
  

• Development- Where is the wine in its developmental stage? Any where from youthful-tired/past its best, also has this wine received deliberate oxidation? Range: Youthful, Developing, Fully Developed, Tired/Past its Best, Deliberate Oxidation.
  

• Aroma Characteristics- This is the good stuff! Is there something else to be perceived in the wine's bouquet? Range: Fruit, Floral, Spice, Vegetal, Oak, Other (The second part of the WSET tasting sheets provides an even further breakdown of each general flavor, i.e Within fruit would involve citrus which includes grapefruit, lemon, lime, orange, etc)

Palate

• Sweetness- This section evaluates the sugars in the wine. Range: Dry, Off Dry, Medium Dry, Medium, Medium Sweet, Sweet, Luscious.
  

• Acidity- This section evaluates the acidity in the wine. Range: Low, Medium -, Medium, Medium +, High
  

• Tannin Level- This section evaluates the tannins in the wine, but does not provide descriptors such as velvety, biting, etc. Those I save for my author's notes. Range: Low, Medium -, Medium, Medium +, High

• Alcohol level- This is a bit more difficult because some wine have high alcohol levels such as port, and some have lower alcohol levels like trebbiano. So to clarify, this section looks to determine whether the wine has a low-high alcohol range based on the grape(s), as well as the region. For example syrah from rhone might have a lower alcohol level than shiraz (same grape) from Australia. This might also be a time to note the authors perception of alcohol, for example does the alcohol integrate into the wine well or is it off balanced, again this section has some room for the authors discretion. Range: Low, Medium -, Medium, Medium +, High. With separate ranges for fortified wines: Low, Medium, High
  

• Body- Evaluates the weight/body of the wine (i.e how does it feel on the palate?). Range: Light, Medium -, Medium, Medium +, Full
  

• Mousse- This is for sparkling wines only, but in such a case the range goes from: Delicate, Creamy, Aggressive

• Flavor Intensity- How prominant/intense is the flavor? Range: Light, Medium -, Medium, Medium +, Pronounced
  

• Flavor Characteristics- This is another really fun part! What sort of flavors are involved? Fruit, floral, spice, vegetal, oak, other. (The second part of the WSET tasting sheets provides an even further breakdown of each general flavor, i.e Within fruit would involve citrus which includes grapefruit, lemon, lime, orange, etc)
  

• Length- How long do the flavors linger on the palate? Range: Short, Medium -, Medium, Medium +, Long
  

Conclusions

• Quality- This is another section where authors and readers may differ. Hopefully we (the reviewers) can make an objective (fingers crossed) evaluation of the quality of the wine, based solely on the grape(s), region, production, etc. and come to an objective conclusion (toes crossed too) about the quality of the wine. Is this wine true to its varietals, regions, production method. Not whether of not we like the wine, was it made well. Ranges: Poor, Acceptable, Good, Outstanding. Sometimes I find wines that fit inbetween these catigories so I might say, "very good" which is between good and outstanding.
  

• Price Category- Although a little bit easier to determine, this does not refer to a set price for all wines, however it determines whether the wine is anywhere from inexpensive-high priced and even premium, based on the region, grape(s), producer, etc. This section will not include such descriptors as "over priced or under priced," it only evaluates the ranges of prices based on the aformost mentioned conditions. I will include my personal thoughts on the prices in the "Authors Notes" section. Ranges: Inexpensive, Mid Priced, High Priced, Premium.
  

• Readiness for drinking- does it need time to age? is it ready to drink? or is it tired/past its best? Range: Needs Time, Ready to Drink but Can Age, At its Peak/Drink Soon, Tired/Past its Best.
  

Authors Notes:

• This is going to be the section set aside for the author to speak their mind about the wine. We're all humans with individual taste buds, so this section is reserved for the authors personal thoughts and comments and is by nature the least objective section. Authors can provide scores, opinions, suggestion or anything they feel is important to share with the reader.

Official WSET Tasting sheets:

http://www.wset.co.uk/documents/ac_sat_14.08.08.pdf