Tasting Training for WSET Level 4, Units D4 + D5 - Session 4 (Dry Sherry, non-blind)
Tasted Saturday, October 9, 2021 by PSPatrick with 111 views
Introduction
As opposed to my usual tasting notes, I have written these tasting notes in accordance with the "WSET Level 4 Systematic Approach to Tasting Wine".
The notes may hence seem technical for readers not applying the same tasting grid. Also, the WSET system has a different approach to the ageability of wines than I personally do. Consequently, while I typically age most of my wines, in the WSET system most wines are not expected to "improve" in bottle and even a wine that will hold or keep but not necessarily gain in complexity is hence considered "not suitable for further aging in bottle". Also, the WSET quality classifications of poor, acceptable, good, very good, and outstanding do not fully correspond to the 100-point scale used on CT. Please bear this in mind when reading these notes.
NV Gonzalez-Byass Palomino Fino Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Tío Pepe (Muy Seco-Extra Dry) 87 Points
Spain, Andalucía, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry
Wine 1: Bottled 05/03/2021. The wine has a pale lemon colour. The nose is of medium(-) intensity and shows aromas of acetaldehyde (apple skin, chamomile, hey) as well as nuts and almond.
On the palate the wine is dry (bone dry, to be precise), with low acidity, low alcohol and a light body. Flavours are of medium(-) intensity and mirror the nose: bruised apple, chamomile, almon and nuts. The wine tastes lightly salty and quite bitter. The finish has medium(-) length.
This is a good quality wine since it has good typicity of Fino Sherry, shows medium aromatic complexity, and the alcohol is well-integrated. To be considered being of very good quality the wine would need to be less bitter and have greater complexity and in particular greater length.
The wine is defined by its freshness, which it would lose with further ageing in bottle, and the wine would ultimately become disjointed. It is hence ready to drink and not suitable for further ageing in bottle.
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NV El Maestro Sierra Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Fino 89 Points
Spain, Andalucía, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry
Wine 2: Half-bottle, screw cap, bottled January 2021. The wine has a medium lemon colour. Notable deeper than the Tio Pepe. The nose has medium(-) intensity and shows aromas of acetaldehyde (bruised apple, hey, chamomile), nuts and almond.
On the palate the wine is dry, with low acidity, low alcohol and medium(-) body. The flavour intensity is medium, flavours include bruised apple, apple skin, hey, chamomile, almond and nuts. The wine tastes salty. The finish has medium length.
This is a very good quality wine since it shows good typicity, good complexity of aromas and flavours, the alcohol is integrated well, and the finish has medium length. To be considered being of outstanding quality the wine would need greater length.
The wine is ready to drink and not suitable for further ageing in bottle. With ageing it would lose with freshness and become bland and disjointed.
NB: Fuller, longer, and less bitter that the regular Tio Pepe Fino Muy Seco.
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NV Hijos de Rainera Perez Marin La Guita Manzanilla 89 Points
Spain, Andalucía, Manzanilla de Sanlúcar de Barrameda
Wine 3: Half-bottle. Screw cap. The wine has a medium lemon colour. The nose has medium(-) intensity and shows aromas of acetaldehyde (bruises apple, hey, chamomile), nuts and almond.
On the palate the wine is dry, with low acidity, low alcohol, and a light body. The flavour intensity is medium-minus, flavours from biological ageing include bruised apple, chamomile, almond and nuts. The wine tastes salty. The finish has medium length.
This is a very good quality wine since it shows good typicity, good complexity of aromas and flavours, the alcohol is very well-integrated, the finish has medium length, and overall, the wine seems very harmonious. To be considered being of outstanding quality the wine would need greater complexity and length.
The wine is ready to drink and not suitable for further ageing in bottle. With ageing it would lose with freshness and become bland and disjointed.
NB: More elegant and more harmonious that bot the regular Tio Pepe Fino Muy Seco and the El Maestro Sierra Sherry Fino. Very good value.
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