Sometimes reading wine reviews can be confusing and difficult to interpret for consumers. They all seem to blend together and the same adjectives appear over and over again. The key to interpreting a wine review for your own personal consumption is to a) know what types of wine you enjoy drinking b) break the review down to its component parts.
I’m in an Italian Wine class right now and on Monday night we did a really helpful exercise that is useful for this purpose. We were given a few passages from Wine Spectator and then asked to reread the tasting note and write down the important descriptors for a list of wine’s main attributes that are discussed in reviews. Wine Spectator’s tasting notes describe the many characteristics of a wine.
The following tasting note is for Bodega Montecillo Rioja Reserva from 1995 retailing for about $15.”This full-throttle Spanish red is rich and dark, with chocolate, coffee and toasty oak flavors, yet has a solid layer of ripe fruit for balance, and a fine mix of firm tannins and bright acidity. The finish is long and fine. Drink now through 2009. 6,000 cases made.”
Aroma/Flavor: chocolate, coffee, toasty oak, ripe fruit
Body: rich
Tannins: firm tannins
Acidity: bright acidity
Finish: long and fine
Balance: solid layer of ripe fruit, fine mix of firm tannins and bright acidity: three of the components required for balance are glowingly described, indicating balance
Complexity: the long list of flavor descriptors and long and fine finish indicate complexity.
Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager
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