Wine tasting in four steps: Seeing, Smelling, Tasting, Analyzing

See: The Color

The first step in a tasting is taken with the eyes. We distinguish 3 areas: color, intensity and viscosity. The 3 basic colours are white, and red. In addition, colour gradations within these groups provide information on the type, age and of the .

White wine: The colour palette ranges from light yellow to brownish . The tones can be cooler or warmer. What does the colour mean for the wine? White wines, which are grown in , often have a more intense colour. Straw Yellow Gold Amber

Straw yellow: Moscato, , Grüner Veltliner Yellow: , ripe Riesling, Pinot Grigio Golden yellow: , ,

Rosé wine: The colour palette ranges from light rosé to apricot to fine bronze tones. What does the colour mean for the wine? The „rosé“ is created by the contact of the grape skin with the juice, the duration of this contact is decisive for the intensity of the colour. This means that there are typical rosé colours, which are determined by the . Pink Salmon Bronce Cognac

Pink: Bandol Rosé, Rosé Salmon pink: Provence Rosé, Rosé Bronze: Rosé, Rosé, Rosé

Red vine: The colour palette ranges from ruby red to violet red to strong dark red. What does the colour mean for the wine? Wines with violet colouring are still very young and the aging process is still subdued. Red wines become brighter over time and drawa wine to the orange. They are very dark and tannin-rich when they are young. The ageing process can be seen Violet Ruby Garnet Brownish red by means of the ageing process going into the orange. In the case of red wines, the intensity of the colour is assessed in the middle of the glass and at the edge of the surface (Figure2).

Ruby red: Pinot Noir, Purple: , , Syrah Garnet Red: Brunello, Amarone, Barolo

See: Intensity and color climate

Deepening red wines - interpretation of the colour impression:

• The more violet and blue tones, the younger and more tannin-rich.

• The less intense red or going into the orange, the older or lighter.

Intensity

Reddish Bluish Brownish

See: Viscosity

Tears/leg/church window: < The so-called viscosity is an important parameter among the sensory aspects of wine and this depends on the concentration of , residual sugar and extracts in the wine. Above all, the proportion of the slightly viscous type of alcoholic glycerin plays an important role. For this, one looks at his glass on a bright background. By the circularswivelling of the wine in the glass, one obtains the contact form of the liquid on the inner wall of a , which then slowly descends when the glass is stopped and forms theso-called tears/leg/church windows. The denser the liquid formation, the more concentrated the wine is. Wines with a high viscosity are usually described as rich and supple.

Wine tasting in four steps: Seeing, Smelling, Tasting, Analyzing

Smell: Scent formation in the glass

Smell comes before taste, because the numerous aromas the nose perceives best, if you have not yet drunk a sip. To sensitize yourself once briefly sniff. After a short break, sniff intensively and try to define odors. Try to name these smells. Move the glass slowly to meet the different odour worlds. At the upper edge of the glass there are more flower scents, at the lower rather intense fruit scents. Panning with a circular motion intensifies the odours.

We distinguish: Primary aromas from the grapes The grapes offer impressions of fruits, flowers, herbs and spices in different weights.

Secondary aromas from the soil and the fermentation process In fact, the smell of wine reflects the place where its grapes have matured. Microbes find their way into the odourous overall impression and can reproduce nature from PRIMÄRE AROMEN AUS DEN TRAUBEN gravel, lime to clay and fungi.

Tertiary aromas from dispersation in barrels and oxidation If a wine is developed in an , further odours are created, which can range Dark, Dried - Blossoms Herbs Spices from coconut, chocolate, cola, dill to . This depends on the selection of the barrel red fruits Fruits fruits or wood from the barrel was made and from the toast (cutting out of the barrel). The correct selection of the barrel for the respective grape or the respective wine is SEKUNDÄRE AROMEN AUS GÄRUNG UND MIKROBEN decisive for a better presentation of the wine. The barrel was to serve the wine in order to give it a“back degree“, i.e. to round it off and stabilize it. It should not overlay the wine! Earth Lime

Tips: TERTIÄRE AROMEN REIFUNG UND OXIDATION • There should be no intense further odours in the room. • Closed eyes helps! • To neutralize between two impressions, we recommend your own smell – that is, sniff yourself in the crook of the elbow. Oxidation Oak

Wine tasting in four steps: Seeing, Smelling, Tasting, Analyzing

Taste: Aroma Wheel

Taste: According to the five pillars of the wine profile

In the small circles you can enter the perceived intensity of body, alcohol, sweetness, acidity and tanning. 1 light, 2 well noticeable, 3 strong, 4 intense 5 very intense.

A wine profile is created about the areas of body, tannins, alcohol, acidity and sweetness. It is not an exact science, but it marks the character of a wine.

Find out more about the five pillars of a wine profile: Body, tannins, alcohol, acidity and sweetness.

Tips for a tasting:

• Body: The so-called body is the feeling of light or heavy wine. The perception of bodies arises through the four pillars: tannins, alcohol, acidity and sweetness and their interaction. Many tannins, a lot of alcohol and a lot of sweetness give the impression of a fuller body. A lot of acidity gives the impression of a lighter body. The winemaker still has other possibilities to make a wine with a more structured body, by different styles of and aging.

• Tannins: The tannins themselves have no taste or smell of their own. they give a sensation in the mouth called astringent. It feels as if something pulls together and you can describe it with furry, dry, almost bitter. The result doesn’t sound very positive. But the tannins are important and valuable. They are contained in the skins, seeds and stems of the grapes. They have an antiseptic effect and thus help the grapes rot bacteria and yeasts to be held. Red wines are mainly associated with tannins, because in red grape varieties they are most found. The usual type of red winemaking is the mash fermentation. This is the first process in which the juice of the grapes is fermented together with the skins of the grapes and thus the juice color of the shells. Through this shell contact, the tannins enter the cider. In the case of shell tannins, it is also referred to as the so-called“good“ tannins.

Tannins are also present in the seeds of the grapes and in the stems. These are: rather bitter tannin notes. Other tanning materials can also be mixed through the barrel influence the wine.

Ask yourself what the feeling of tannins is in your mouth. Tip: Grape tannins can be felt in the front of the mouth, Tannins from barrel in the middle of the mouth.

• Alcohol: By feeling more or less „burning“in the mouth, you can assess the intensity of the alcohol content. Many factors influence the content of the alcohol of a wine. The alcohol content of a wine is not always noticeable, but significantly influences the shelf life of the wine. However, the prerequisite for this is the quality of the vine swell and the winemaking.

• Acidity: Does the wine tingle in the mouth? This is a sign of a lot of acidity. Try whether a lot of sweetness covers a lot of acidity. Certain acids are already present in the grapes and play a role in the winemaking and also a major role in the finished wine. They influence the colour of the wine and sensory evaluation by the countergame alcohol and sugar. The acids are essential for the process of the fermentation and for the energy metabolism of the yeasts.

• Sweetness: Sweetness is perceived on the tip of the tongue. How do I classify the wine? According your assessment it is sweet to very dry. The grapes form fructose and glucose during ripening. These two natural sugars are deprecational, with the glucose being faster fermented. Young wines taste mostly dry because their sweet sugar is completely fermented to alcohol.

Tasting: The Finish 3 7 The finish refers to the reverberation of a wine after taking a sip. Here we are surprised by aromas such as tart, bitter, salty, sweet, earthy, perfumed. 14

The length of a finish is also remarkable. Does the wine resore for 3 or 14 seconds?

Find out more about the five pillars of a wine profile: body, alcohol, sweetness, acidity, tannins. Seconds

Taste: The Complexity

Do you taste many aromas without difficulty? If this is easy to do, the wine is very complex. Wine tasting in four steps: Seeing, Smelling, Tasting, Analyzing

Analysis: The Comte de Thun Tasting Kit

The Comte de Thun Tasting Kit consists of a selection of special wines and specially created tasting support material. This can be used intuitively. You can also make an appointment with our winemaker for online coaching. The kit is suitable for rounds up to 8 people.

You will experience our wines through the eyes, the nose and the mouth. It’s a great feeling to taste the complexity of a wine. There are no false feelings!

Of course we would like to welcome you to our Wine-Tasting Events in the Domaine de Comte de Thun. Please inform yourself about upcoming events, winefood pairings and wine tastings.

The Comte de Thun Tasting Kit

The Comte de Thun Wine Tasting in our rooms on Château Frausseilles