WSET Diploma Practice Tasting - Various Combinations

More practice tasting, four of us, each bringing a pair of wines.

Higish levels of acid, firm tannins, fresh fruit flavours all suggested Italy. Two of us guessed Piedmont. Actually from the volcanic soils of Etna in Sicily.

• 2013 Benanti Etna Rosso di Verzella 86 Points

  Italy, Sicily, Etna DOC

  The wine is clear and pale ruby in colour.
  The nose is clean with medium intensity aromas of red fruit (cherry, strawberry, red currant). floral (violet, rose). vegetal (blackcurrant leaf), hint of tertiary (leather). The wine is developing.
  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, medium (+) grippy tannins, medium (+) alcohol, medium body, medium intensity flavours of sour red cherry, strawberry, violet, leather. The finish is medium.
  The wine is good quality. The acid and tannin just about balance the fruit, which has some concentration. Lacks concentration and length of finish.
  The wine should be drunk now and is not suitable for further ageing. It lacks the concentration of fruit to allow for development of tertiary flavours.

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• 2014 Cottanera Etna Bianco 86 Points

  Italy, Sicily, Etna DOC

  The wine is clear and pale lemon in colour.
  The palate is clean with medium intensity aromas of stone fruit (peach, nectarine), floral (white blossom), lees (pastry, cream), other (mineral, wet stones). The wine is youthful.
  The wine is dry with medium (+) acidity, medium alcohol, medium body, medium, intensity flavours of peach, lemon, white blossom, mineral. The finish is medium.
  The wine is good quality. The wine is straightforward and fruit driven, with limited complexity, but nice texture. The acidity balances the fruit. The finish is only moderate length.
  The wine should be drunk now (next 12 months) and is not suitable for ageing. The fruit is likely to fade, leaving the acidity to dominate.

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Red fruit. lots of mediums, bright ruby colours. No real connection.

• 2013 Caves Saint-Pierre St. Joseph 89 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph

  The wine is clear and medium ruby in colour.
  The nose is clean with medium (+) intensity aromas of baked dark fruits (bramble, black plum), oak (toast, smoke, clove), dried fruit (prune), spice (liquorice), tertiary (leather, earth). The wine is developing.
  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, medium (+) ripe tannins, medium alcohol, medium (+) body, medium (+) intensity flavours - bramble, plum, prune, smoke, leather, earth. The finish is medium (+).
  The wine is very good quality. The acid and tannins balance the fruit, which has good concentration and some complexity from primary, secondary, and tertiary clusters. It lacks length and concentration to be outstanding.
  The wine can be drunk now but is suitable for further ageing over the next five years. It has the concentration of fruit, supported by the acid and tannin structure to allow further tertiary development.

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• 2014 Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages 87 Points

  France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Beaujolais-Villages

  The wine is clear and pale ruby in colour.
  The nose is clean with medium intensity aromas of ripe red fruits (cherry, raspberry, strawberry), dried fruit (kirsch), floral (violet, rose), spice (liquorice). The wine is youthful.
  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, medium (-) chalky tannins, medium alcohol, medium (-) body, medium intensity flavours of cherry, strawberry, raspberry, spice, violets. The finish is medium.
  The wine is good quality, the acids and tannins balance the fruit, which has straightforward primary characteristics but some depth and concentration. It lacks concentration and the finish is only moderate length.
  The wine should be drunk now and is not suitable for further ageing. It lacks the fruit concentration and tannins and will fade in the next couple of years, leaving the acid.
  A good quality beaujolais villages wine.

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Pale to medium ruby, red fruits, medium (+) to high alcohol, firm tannins could have all suggested Pinot Noir.

• 2013 Waitrose Vin de Pays d'Oc Southern French Grenache 88 Points

  France, Languedoc Roussillon, Vin de Pays d'Oc

  The wine is clear and medium ruby in colour.
  The nose is clean with medium (+) intensity aromas of ripe red fruit (red cherry, red plum), floral (violet), spice (liquorice), dried fruit (fig), tertiary (forest floor). The wine is developing.
  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, medium ripe tannins, medium (+) alcohol, medium (+) body, medium intensity flavours of red cherry, red plum, violet, forest floor. The finish is medium (+).
  The wine is good quality. It has good fruit concentration which is balanced by the acidity and tannins. It has some complexity from tertiary development. It lacks complexity and concentration to be outstanding.
  The wine should be drunk now and is not suitable for further ageing, although there is no hurry to drink - the fruit has enough concentration to last for at least a couple more years.

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• 2013 Willunga 100 Grenache 88 Points

  Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale

  The wine is clear and pale ruby in colour.
  The nose is clear with medium (+) intensity aromas of red fruit (red cherry, red plum, strawberry), floral (violet), spice (liquorice), oak (vanilla, sweet spice). The wine is youthful.
  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, medium (+) firm tannins, high alcohol, medium (+) body, medium (+) intensity flavours of red cherry, red plum, strawberry, violet, vanilla. The finish is medium (+).
  The wine is very good quality. It has good concentration of primary red fruits with some oak influence giving complexity, the acid and tannins balance the fruit, the alcohol is well integrated and the wine has a reasonably long finish. It lacks complexity and concentration to be outstanding.
  The wine should be drunk now and is not suitable for further ageing although there is no hurry to drink. The fruit is likely to fade leaving the acid and alcohol, however it still has enough concentration to be enjoyed over the next 3 years.

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A paulliac and a South African cabernet sauvignon. The latter displayed clear varietal characteristics - blackcurrant with slight greenness, ripe tannins. The first showed all the characteristics of a mature bordeaux. Definitely the wine of the evening.

• 2010 Tesco Finest Cabernet Sauvignon 89 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  The wine is clear and deep garnet in colour.,
  The nose is clean with pronounced aromas of ripe black fruit (black currant, black cherry), herbaceous (blackcurrant lead, mint), oak (vanilla, smoke), dried fruit (date), tertiary (cedar, leather, rubber). The wine is developing.
  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, medium (+) ripe tannins, medium (+) alcohol, full body, medium (+) intensity flavours of blackcurrant, blackcurrant lead, mint, vanilla, smoke, date, leather. The finish is medium (+).
  The wine is very good quality. It has good fruit concentration and complexity (from primary, secondary and tertiary clusters), and the acid and tannins balance the fruit. It has a decent length finish, but lacks concentration on the palate and a long finish to be outstanding.
  The wine can be drunk now but is suitable for further ageing for up to 5 years. It has the concentration of fruit and the structure to support further development of tertiary characteristics, although it is drinking very well now.

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• 2002 Château Pontet-Canet 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  The wine is clear and deep garnet in colour.
  The nose is clean with pronounced intensity aromas of black fruit (blackcurrant, blackberry, black plum), oak, (smoke, cedar, clove), fruit development (date, prune, cooked black fruit), tertiary development (leather, cigar box). The wine is developing.
  The palate is dry with with medium (+) acidity, high ripe tannins, medium alcohol, full body, pronounced intensity flavours of blackcurrant, black plum, smoke, prune, leather, cedar. The finish is long.
  The wine is outstanding. It has great concentration of fruit, a long and persistent finish, complexity from primary, secondary and tertiary clusters. The acid and tannins are well balanced by the fruit, and the high tannins are soft and well integrated.
  The wine can be drunk now but is suitable for further ageing. It has the fruit concentration and acid/tannin structure to allow further tertiary development, although it is effectively now in its ideal drinking plateau and likely to remain there for 5-10 years.
  A mature Bordeaux that is drinking beautifully.

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