A couple of bullet points before you get into my blog, below:

• I remember the first really interesting Merlot I tasted - it was a 1991 Chateau Ste Michelle Columbia Valley Merlot, and I had it while dining in a restaurant with my wife in Old Saybrook, CT. I can still smell the cherries and chocolate in the wine, all the way back to 1994.
• I can also remember one of the first times I had an older, aged wine that showed me how cool they could be. It was 1996, and I got to taste a 1983 Cuvaison Merlot from Napa. Blew me away it was so good. It was also the day I learned that I was going to be a dad - was having trouble getting enough oxygen in my lungs that day.
• And finally, the San Francisco Chronicle published an article this week on Merlot, which is what got me thinking about this grape and initiated my thoughts below. Check out the article here.

I have been in the wine business for a long time - about 30 years, in fact - and I remember a time when people could not get enough Merlot. It was literally the most in-demand variety on the market. In the early 1990s, Americans kind of woke up to the notion that wine was good for you, could be a part of a healthy life-style, and was actually quite enjoyable. In this wake, Merlot from California in the $10 range was king and everyone was planting it as fast as could be. Blackstone, Forest Glen and similar brands were literally built on Merlot sales.

Then came Sideways in 2004, and we have Miles' famous we will not be drinking merlot rant. The world shifted a bit and decided to change gears and drink Pinot Noir. Leading up to this though the styles of Merlot coming out of California were, well, ok. Some of the greatest wines in the world are made from or in part from Merlot - which is a bit of the irony in the storyline for Sideways, but in the explosion of demand in the late 1990s for this grape a lot of production was stretched and grapes were planted in less than ideal locations. The result was wine being made by mega-producers looking to capitalize on the new fad, and we got served a lot of plonk.

Merlot in general is softer than Cabernet Sauvignon, but can make structured and age-worthy wines; no doubt on this. But when it's over-cropped and fed a ton of garbage it does the same thing we all do in that circumstance - it gets fat and lazy and uninteresting. So in combination with the Sideways effect it was not surprise to see this fairly dramatic shift in the early 2000s from Merlot demand to Pinot Noir demand - I sold wine in those days for a wholesaler and we had some of the top Merlot brands around - and then we had some of the top Pinot Noir demands around. Merlot had gotten boring, Miles just yelled it loud for all of us.

Unfortunately, if mega-producers were making marginally decent Merlot, they sure-as-heck were not doing the same for Pinot Noir, which is an even more finicky grape to grow. What we saw happening was a lot of budding over of Merlot vines to Pinot Noir - a practice where they essentially lop off the top of the plant and put a bud from a new plant on the rootstock, and in a year or two - miracle! You have a new plant making a new grape variety. Merlot likes slightly warmer climate than Pinot Noir, and the result was a lot of basically half-assed, fat and flabby Pinot Noir (not a good thing) - and certainly nothing like you get from a cooler region like the Willamette Valley in Oregon, Santa Barbara, or even Burgundy.

Don't get me wrong - loads of great Pinot Noir out there, but in the $10-$15 range - there was a lot of garbage wine - and there still is to this day. In fact, it may even be worse now as the consumer's palate was morphed over the past 20-years to believe Pinot Noir should be round and flabby, dark and intense. And today, we still have mega-brands out there that bottle Pinot Noir with other grapes in the blend (Pinot Noir is not a good player when it comes to blends) and a lot of winemaking going on in the lab, rather than the cellar.

Merlot though is still a player. I have watched the sales volume of Merlot over the years and it has of course dropped, but it was not as quick and tumultuous as some believed. There were/are a lot of Merlot fans. Unfortunately, it has become a bit of a back-seat player, though. I had a conversation this week with one of my managers, and he said that we cannot sell Merlot to anyone to save our lives. Which is a shame because these wines are fantastic, and are often better choices to go with food than say a big, brawny Cab that is too young to drink. I also like Merlot for its red fruit and spice character, along with juicy, soft tannins. It's such a great blending partner, which is why it is still a grape grown in huge numbers for blending purposes. 

Whether you are a fan or not, this is a great time to look for Merlot on a wine list or store shelf. I think the quality level in the $15-20 range has improved vastly over the years. And if you go just a bit higher in the price range you are going to find outstanding wines at better value to quality than a lot of "better" grapes. Look for wines from regions like Napa, Sonoma, Washington State and Bordeaux - yes, they grow Merlot in Bordeaux - a lot of it, actually. Just ask Miles.

​NEWA
1
How did you get into wine and how did you get started in the business?
 
TT
I kind of grew up in the business - my father owned a store. I worked in the store through school and when I graduated from college, I didn’t really have a specific direction. He was opening a new venture and when that store opened, I got involved and that is where really developed an interest and got passionate about wine. Not so much the business or the industry but wine. I do enjoy the business but it’s really about the wine. I started in retail 37 years ago. That lasted about 6 years and then I decided to transition over to something that was more wine focused and moved into wholesale where I have been since. Working for Slocum & Sons and then Worldwide Wines as a sales rep, and now as a manager.

2
How has going through the WSET educational process helped or impacted you with your place in the industry? You have passed Level 3 Wine.
 
TT
Yes. Candidly, I wanted to get to Level 4, and I really originally took WSET studies through Level 3 because of that. Unfortunately, getting the Level 4 has not proven to be logistically practical. But where I am is kind of where I expect to end up in the industry, so that is ok. I did Level 3 Wine during Covid lockdown, so it was also something to occupy my time, But I did notice and I continue to see more people referencing their level of award. At this point in my career, I did not really see it as critical, but why not? I love wine, I love learning about wine, and I had the time. For anyone starting in the industry it definitely helps to provide a foundation or structure for learning about the trade, and I encourage anyone who is new or just starting in the industry to further their advancements in WSET levels.
 
3
What is your go-to wine for a Tuesday night?
 
TT
On a Tuesday? Whatever is left in the sample bag…
I almost exclusively drink Italian. I will mix some French in from time to time. If I am buying my own wine, I am probably going for a Nebbiolo, DOCG level Barolo, Sangiovese-based such as Rosso di Montalcino or Chianti Classico, etc…

So what is the attraction of those? Obviously Italian is a favorite place, but stylistically I am guessing there is something there that you enjoy that is different than French or California or others?

Yes, definitely. That is a good question…I definitely prefer Old World to New World regions, just stylistically, but why Italy over France? Mostly because I love the place.
You mentioned Nebbiolo and Sangiovese based wines, and those are grapes that tend to have little more acid structure and tannin structure to them, so I am guessing that is something that attracts you to these?

I feel like I am immune to tannin.

After this long in the industry?

Yeah, it doesn’t bother me one bit…and I enjoy high acid wines as well – both white and red wine.
 
4
What is your favorite wine region or place you have travelled to?
 
TT
Piedmont. Without a doubt.
Anywhere in particular in Piedmont?
Barolo
 
5
In the past 6 months, what’s the favorite wine you have tasted?
 
TT
…Past six months, ok…
I could ask you what’s your favorite wine, but that’s an annoying question. And since you routinely taste a lot of things, I thought I would ask what stands out in recent memory.
 
That’s a really good question…ummm…
I am in a tasting group, and there were two bottles of 2009 Barolo from Giuseppe Rinaldi that we had last fall (2023). They make two Cru - Brunate La Coste and Cannubi San Lorenzo Ravera. Standout wines.
 
 
Thanks
 
 
Tom and I have known each other for many years. We came across each other routinely as sales reps for competing companies, working a list of overlapping accounts. When I transitioned from wholesale to the on-premise, Tom took over the route I had been working and he became one of our reps for a number of years. He eventually transitioned to a regional sales manager in the same company, and we continue to see each other on a regular basis. A dedicated wine person, he has even inspired some of his children to work in the industry. I think he likes to box, as well.

For the fourth installment of this segment, we use a flight of Bordeaux red wines to illustrate the range of tannin in wine and how it can evolve over time, as well as the impact on style depending on the sourcing of the wine and the winemaking used.
What does all that mean?

Well, tannin is an important component in wine - we are talking primarily red wine in this exercise. Tannins are part of the group of phenolic compounds that originate primarily in the skins, seeds and stems, of the grape. Tannins provide two essential function in wine.

First, tannins are antioxidants, which means they help a wine age by binding up free oxygen in the wine and keep it from spoiling the wine. This is great if you want to put some wine away in your cellar and age it for a period of time. It is also why many of the wines that are considered best for collecting and aging are wines with elevated levels of tannin.

Secondly, tannin molecules attract to protein molecules and help to balance them out when we consume in conjunction with each other. Having a steak with a big red wine is a great combination because the tannins help to soften and pull back the richness in the steak created by the fat and protein, and can make a steak taste softer and give an overall better palate feel. 

It is important to understand that not all wines have equal levels of tannin and not all food has equal levels of protein. A T-bone steak will have a different level of tannin than a piece of salmon or chicken, and as such a different wine will be more appropriate in the pairing. The T-bone might be best with a rich Cabernet from Sonoma, while the Salmon will be better with a Pinot Noir from Oregon. The Pinot Noir has thinner skins and as such will not be as tannic as the Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon. The Pinot Noir may get overwhelmed by a big steak, just as easily as the chicken can be no match for a big Cab.

Flight 5

1. Basic, young Bordeaux Rouge
2. Cru Bourgeois with some age (5 years)
3. Cru Classe Medoc (fully developed with 15 years of age)

Ok, so just upfront I am going to say that aged Cru Classe is not an easy or inexpensive prospect. Retail stores are not in the business of cellaring wines - they want to sell what they have not hold it. And anything c=Cru Classes has kind of gotten pricey over the past 20+ years. Although, you can find great wines in current vintage, the trick is to find and aged wine. And unless you had the foresight 20 years ago to stock away some cases or you have a rich Uncle that like to go to auctions and collect Bordeaux, you might be out of luck on this. Just do your best find a wine, and as noted in a previous post you can use a Grand Reserve Rioja as a sub. These are much more accessible examples.

A young Bordeaux and a Cru Bourgeois sample should be much more attainable and easy to find. Any good wine shop will have multiple examples of Bordeaux Rouge, and because this is not a fast turn-over category, the Cru Bourgeois on the shelves may actually be a few years old and a good sample for this flight.

Many younger basic Bordeaux are going to made primarily from Merlot, with some addition of Cabernet Sauvignon or Franc rounding out the blend. This means the wines will show very soft in the tannin structure and pretty red fruit forward for aromatics and flavors.  By soft tannins, I mean the grippy, astringent feeling we get on the ind=side of our cheeks and across our teeth and gums from tannins will be less intense than from one of the other wines int his set. In fact, the basic Bordeaux should be the easiest to drinks and least drying of the flight. Remember, tannins bond with protein and if we just taste a wine on its own with no food there is very little protein on our palates, naturally. Just the limited amount in our saliva is present without any food. Take a sip of wine and assess the tannin, then eat a piece of food with protein in it and see the difference on the palate for the wine and the food. A piece of meat, some cheese, or a piece of tofu if you are vegetarian/vegan will work.

When stepping up to the Cru Bourgeois, it is important to note that this category of wine is primarily a Medoc based designation, and as such the wines will often be based on Cabernet Sauvignon, although not always. A very high quality category of wine, these are some of my favorite value wines in the entire wine world. Great sourcing and regional knowledge in winemaking, and a periodic evaluation to maintain the Cru Bourgeois designation, but without the high price tag of the top Chateau from the region, all combine to give us a great wine category. These wines will show more depth and intensity in color, aromas and flavors, as well as tannin structure, typically. At five years of age these tannins will still be present and create the drying affect on our palates, but the tannins will have begun to resolve and soften, making for a silky style of wine that can be very versatile with food pairings. Chateau Greysac is a widely distributed example, but there are a number of example often in a well-stocked wine seller.

Moving to the Cru Classe wine in this flight, if you are lucky enough to be able to source this wine then you will have the opportunity to experience a tannin structure that is well on its way to being in harmony with the other components of the wine. Still youthful with regard to the fruit aspect, many wines in this category should have the quality and pedigree to last well beyond this, slowly and gracefully aging to the day they are opened. In December of 2023, I opened a bottle of 1983  Chateau Beychevelle  from my cellar, and it was, at 40 years, still holding color and the tannins were sound and supple. I took a bet many years ago and set this wine on the rack. But that roll of the dice paid off as this wine proved its value as a top level producer, and I was supremely happy with that decision. If you have a wine of a similar nature then you can contrast it with the younger wines that will have more robust tannins and and leave a much deeper drying or astringent quality on the palate than a wine that is fully developed.

So in conclusion to this flight, the learning outcome here is to demonstrate that wines evolve over time and the components in the wines change. Color changes - usually turning more garnet to brick in red wines (more golden in white wines). Wines will pick up more tertiary aromas and flavors over time. The process of cellaring a wine is basically a controlled process of composting slowed down and kept in isolation to prevent spoilage. This means we should expect to find more earthy and savory aromas/flavors in wines as they get older, as long as they do not completely spoil. And the mouthfeel of a wine will evolve as the tannins break down and become smoother and softer. The cells that originally came from the skins and seeds and stems of the grape literally break apart over times and become very fine grained - sometimes almost non-existent with enough time. These three wines, tasted at different stages of development, and overlaid with different quality levels, provide a great flight to experience these changes and understand development in wine.

Without acid our food and drinks would be flat and have no life. Acidity makes things better. That is why we squeeze lemon juice on all kinds of dishes, add lime juice to our margaritas, and put vinegar on our salads.

Acid in wine comes from the grape. As a grape ripens over the growing season the plant replaces acid in the berry with sugar. This is part of its reproductive system, but humans have learned to control and capture this sugar to our benefit and make wine from it. Some grapes are naturally higher in acidity than others (Riesling and Sauvignon are higher while Chardonnay and Viognier can be more medium) and the climate where grapes are grown will have a huge impact on the acid levels in the grapes, as well as harvesting earlier or later. Many factors can contribute to the acidity in a wine. In fact, some wineries even add acid to their wines to make them more palatable when it is not produced naturally.

In part 2 of this tasting series, we took a look at sweetness in wines and it should go without saying that acid and sugar are often discussed in very similar and closely aligned conversation. They is often a look at how the acid in a wine compares to, balances with, or contrasts to the acidity in the wine. For this flight we use examples that are fairly low in sugar so we can see how wines might differ with regard to acid, specifically.

Flight 4

1. Australian Riesling or Gruner Veltliner
2. Oaked Chardonnay
3. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc

I am just going to say upfront that Australian Riesling may be a challenge to source in many locations in the US. Australian wines have not been as front and forward as they were 15-20 years ago (Google Australian wines and China), and riesling is not a focus for US importers as it is a slightly lesser selling varietal. But, they are out there and are fantastic examples of dry, lean and very high acid wine, if you can find them. 

My recommendation is often to use a Gruner Veltliner from Austria, as an easy substitute in this slot. Gruner Veltliner is often harvested just barely at ripeness, comes from moderately cool climates (especially the lower priced ones) and is full of under-ripe, vegetal notes that work well with plant-based cuisines. What we are looking for here is a wine with high levels of acid and not much else. Not really neutral but just not oaky or showing any maturation characteristics, and from a cooler climate. Many of these wines come in liter bottles for about $10-$15. Groiss, Grooner and a number of others are easily accessible. You don't have to spend a lot here, so don't.

In contrast we want to taste this wine side by side with a wine such a California Chardonnay, or similar, that has some oak and comes from a warmer climate. Why warmer? Because in a warmer area, grapes ripen faster, which means they build sugar in the berries faster and earlier in the growing season than grapes grown in a cool region. Harvest in Sicily can be as early as July due to the heat there, while grape harvest in Oregon might be well into September or even October (although climate change factors are definitely impacting this range). There are many examples - a California appellation $15 Chard with about 14% abv is perfect.

The final wine in this flight is a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc such as those typically found in Marlborough. These wines are often harvested just at ripeness, have high levels of acidity due to the cool climate and are very aromatic, with loads of tropical and vegetal notes often dominating the aromas and flavors. What we are looking for here is that high level of acidity - NZ SBs are often our marker for HIGH acid - as well as the very aromatic style of the wines with the tropical notes. Satellite, Dogpoint, and Lobster Reef are a favorites of mine, but there are literally dozens on the market. Stick with moderate prices but not so much with the mass-marketed brands. these tend to have a bit of RS added which can confuse. Marlborough is your place.

In conclusion, the Australian Riesling or the Gruner Veltliner in this flight show us an example of fairly neutral, high acid, under-ripe (dry) wine. The Cali Chard will be medium in acid, typically, and with any oak influence with show us a rounder mouthfeel and an off-dry overall feel (typically). And the New Zealand Sauvignon will split the middle with very high acid, very high aromatics and a mostly dry style, that is lean on the palate but can also be somewhat balanced due to the Sauvignon's nature in having more richness, naturally.

It should be noted that while these notes are intended to be guidelines in buying and calibration tasting, it is important to taste and evaluate all wines and assess their own merits. These flights are great to use for study but add in a few other wines and you can really begins to understand the differences in wine styels and components.

This flight is one of my favorites as it help students understand one of the most confusing aspects of taste - specifically how to properly assess and understand what the terms 'dry' and 'sweet' mean when it comes to tasting things.

When we taste, our brains are interpreting tactile sensations being received on our palate by receptors, known as taste buds. That's it. Taste is a tactile sensation. Remember this, because one of the most common comments I get from new students is that their wine smells sweet. Smelling is a different sense, and one where we cannot receive information about whether there is sugar present in a wine or other product we are assessing. You are smelling fruity aromas that are often associated with a sweet product (think under-ripe vs ripe strawberries), but until you put the item in your mouth, there is no way to know if it contains any sugar. Both strawberries will smell like strawberries - although the over-ripe example will probably be more intense with strawberry aromas. But when tasting the under-ripe strawberry you will not get much sugar and probably more of a tart feel on the palate. Then taste the over-ripe example and it will be luscious with sweetness as the under-ripe tartness and lack of sugar will have given way to a concentration of sugar (and aromas) in the fruit.

In this flight we will see a similar range of sugar and aromas concentrations in the various examples. This is a huge lesson for new tasters, but one that Level 3 students should hopefully understand at this point.

Flight 3

• Premium Alsace Riesling
• Premium Pfalz Riesling
• Basic Rheingau or Mosel Riesling

We taste these wines in a flight to compare and contrast the differences in sweetness level, as well as quality levels in premium verses good quality wines. To break this down and understand the flight it is imperative to know some theory on wine making and the regions, specifically when it comes to cool climate regions where oak is not always the main factor in production or maturation.

Alsace is a fairly warm and dry growing region - especially in the middle of the summer growing season. It sits in the rain shadow of the Vosges Mountains in eastern France, very close to the German border, and tremendous quality wines are produced here. Grapes often have a lot of hang-time in this region as producers want to get great flavor concentration in their wines. This means we have lots of sugar in the grape at harvest, and this sugar is then fermented to relative dryness in the finished wines. Alcohols tends to be slightly higher as a result and this can be a tool when buying wines of this nature as a higher abv (13.5-14%), can indicate a dryer wine. Because of the longer hang-time, the grapes can develop thicker skins and a higher level of phenolics in the finished wine, often misinterpreted as oak. Trimbach and Hugel make great examples of Alsace Riesling, and should be commonly found.

We contrast this with a high quality wine from the Pfalz, a region not too far away from Alsace, just over the Rhine River in Germany. These wines will allow for a more floral and concentrated set of Riesling aromas, and are often slightly 'sweeter', although I use that term lightly as the wines are not sweet. They are well balanced, and display a great tension between the some residual sugar and the acidity in the grape. When a wine has an elevated level of acidity, it can carry some residual sugar (RS) that can balance against this acid to create an elegant drink. Think lemon juice vs lemonade. With raw lemon juice we have a very high level of acidity, but low level of sugar. Add some sugar water and you can create a well-balanced beverage that has just the right amount of sugar to contrast the lemon's acid, making for a refreshing beverage. Add too much sugar and you get lemon candy. The winemaker's goal is to find just the right balance point between the acid and sugar. Pfalz producers are experts in this. You can also find a Riesling from the Rheingau or Nahe, for this slot. Just stick with Kabinett level. Burklin-Wolf and Donnhoff are accessible producers. 12% abv is the goal.

For the off-dry to sweet styles, a Mosel QBA is a great, affordable example to source. These wines will be slightly lower in abv (9.5%), and display a distinct sweetness that can balance against acidity quite well. Beautiful to drink and great with spicy dishes from Asia or anywhere hot peppers or heat are part of the cuisine. The RS will off-set against the heat in the pepper for a great food and wine pairing. Look for Dr L by Loosen, or similar product with a lower abv.

It should be noted that the Mosel QBAs are not typically fully sweet. For this affect you would want to source a Spatlese or Auslese or a true dessert wines to see what much more sweetness does in a wine. A Dr L Riesling has about 9 g/L of RS, while a Port or Sauternes can be 110 to 200 g/L in RS - a huge difference in sweetness levels.

Check out the other posts on Level 3 Wine Tasting Calibration:

1. Neutral vs Oak
2. Sweetness (this article)
3. Tannin and aging
4. Acidity

For student looking to source samples wine to use for study purposes, you will find a general list of wines to shop with. It should be noted that not all wines are available in all markets, but I have taken care to create this list with items that are widely distributed on a national basis.

The goal of this particular list is to source a starter list of wines that will help understand a few basic principles in taste calibration. Specially, comparing an unoaked and an oaked wines, as well as comparing youthful and developed or fully developed wines. 

As a reminder, it is important to always try and taste wines is comparison flights as this will give you the best opportunity to see, smell and taste the differences between styles and components.

Flight 1

1. Neutral white
2. Dry oaked white

The goal on this flight is to compare and contrast the use of oak and see how it impacts the color, aromas and palate feel of a wine, verses a wines that sees no oak influence.

For the neutral white example it is best to source a style that is traditionally made with no oak, such as a Muscadet from the western coast of france. A great pairing for seafood, the Muscadet is made from a grape called Melon de Bourgogne, but this is not Burgundy. The grape has a fairly neutral aspect in its aroma/flavor profile, making it a great wine to use in this case. There are many producers, so any muscadet that carries hge appellation Muscadet de Sevre et Maine is acceptable. Should cost about $15 or less. Other neutral white examples can be a delle Venezie Pinot Grigio from Italy.

Contrast this with an oak influenced white such as a California Chardonnay that has been barrel fermented and/or barrel aged. The more oak the better. The small caution her is that many lower priced wines might say they have oak aromas, but often do not actually see a barrel but rather are made with oak chips, or worse, oak extract. Get a great bottle of oaked chardonnay and enjoy. Examples from the Jackson Family of wines can often be found, just stay away from Kendall Jackson Reserve Chard. Opt for a wine from the line of La Crema or Hendry Chardonnay. These wines may be a little more costly as the oak is expensive, but many wines from Napa and Sonoma are barrel fermented and or aged. Just check the notes to see how much. In this case more is better.

The thing to note when tasting is the vanilla, toast, cedar, spice notes in the oaked chard, and compare that to the absolute lack of these notes in the neutral white. Texturally the oaked wine should be much more round on the palate, longer in the finish, and most likely lower in acidity than than the neutral white. The Muscadet will also be categorized as youthful, while the oaked white could be youthful, but by definition it has seen some oak if it has spent time in barrel, so as long as it is a recent vintage then this wine will often be categorized as developing.

Flight 2

1. Unoaked Red
2. Fully Developed Red

For this flight, comparing an unaged and softer red, such as Beaujolais, to a fully developed red such as Gran Reserva Rioja, is not only a great way to demonstrate oak influence in red wines, but also to demonstrate the style expectations for a wine with tertiary notes. We are also looking at this flight help identify acid in red wine (the beaujolais is a good example of this - probably more in the medium + category), as well as tanning level. Each of these wines could have very soft tannins, but the rioja will have more of what we called resolved tannins these have been aged to softness), rather than youthful and soft tannins from the result of thinner skinned grape and shorter maceration periods.

The Beaujolais is made from a grape called Gamay and these wines are typically going to be fruit forward with loads of vibrant red and blue fruits, have soft tannins as the grape is fairly thin skinned and grows in a cooler climate. As stated above, maceration times for basic Beaujolais is relatively short, so the extraction of thing slike tannin is minimized. The focus here for the wine is youthful, fruity aromas and a smooth texture on the palate. They are fruity, just not sweet - there is a difference. Mostly focused on Primary aromas, you might get a bit of secondary as some older and large oak can be used in production, but this is somewhat rare. Color here is also of note, as the Beaujolais will often be a vibrant ruby - even purple - and could go to deep although I find most to be medium. Look for a Beaujolais or Beaujolais-Village from producers such as Louis Jadot or Duboef. A Cru is not necessary in this flight. Get the most recent vintage as you can, but stay away from wines that are more than 3 years old or are Nouveau (unless it's Thanksgiving).

For the Rioja, sourcing a Gran Reserva that is of about 8-10 years is often the best option. These are also some fantastic wines to drink on a regular basis as they are tremendous values in the wine world. For the tasting comparison, we are looking for a wine that can display color that is impacted by long periods in wood. So a Ruby core with some garnet fade to the edge is often the case. The core color could also be moving to garnet, and in some cases you may even find wines that have definite amber edges.

On the nose we will find primary, secondary and tertiary notes. ANd this is key as it is important to being able to identify the notes derived from extended aging. More dried fruits, forest and savoy spects are often key here. Contrast this with the very youthful and primary notes in the Beaujolais and it should be easy to see what is meant.

On the plate the wine will have very soft tannins, depending on the wine. Remember these wines have been aged in combination of wood and bottle for a minimum of 5 years, but they are also designed to last for years and even decades upon release, so you could get an 10 year wine that is still fairly young in overall development. The point is that we will see the oak influence in the color, the spices and aroma/flavor characters and on the finish. 
I am fond of producers such as Faustino, CUNE and Riscal.

You can also add another wine to the flight and see an aspect of oak influence but also with youthful and very ripe tannins. A Napa Cabernet Sauvignon from a recent vintage will often fill this listing. Just expect to pay a bit more. Honig Winery makes an exceptional Cab at a more moderate price point for this region. Also are family owned and a great people to support.

This week, I had a Level 3 Wines student contact me because he was frustrated and looking for advice on the wines he should be sourcing and sampling for his studies. Going to wine and package stores in his area and trying to get wines that lined up with the curriculum - especially accurate wines for calibrating to the WSET format with regard to the core components in wine - Sugar, Acid, Tannin, Alcohol as well as understanding the impact of wood on wine - was not as easy for him as it should be. Either running into store employees who were lacking the proper knowledge in the basics of wine - or even the opposite in running into people who were qualified but with the unfortunate dismissive attitude of this was not worth their time - was what he was facing.
​
So he reached out to me for guidance. 

Now, I have published lists of wines for sourcing, but it should be noted that it is challenging to put out lists with brand names as not all wines are available in all markets, and wine styles change over time. But I do my best to maintain this list and make accurate recommendations on what wines to source. Please source wines as best as you can, but take a look at things like abv, which could be an indicator of sweetness levels (lower abv might suggest a sweeter wine), and read shelf-talkers or notes to get a feel for the wine style.

The other thing that is really important to note is the when sourcing wines to taste for study and exam conditions, it is not always the most expensive or highest scoring wines that need to be tasted. In fact it is necessary to taste wines that sit at the acceptable and good point on the quality scale so that we can understand what is the difference when a wine with attributes for very good or outstanding quality level come across our palate. 

Generally speaking I like to use 'standard' wines for study purposes. Meaning, wines that are reasonably priced, show good varietal character, and are representational of the goal of the study assignment. For instance, when looking at tannin, it is important to taste a wine with a lot of tannin  to get that experience and calibration, but in the glass next to it you should have a wine with medium or low tannin, as an accurate comparison.

Which brings me to my last point. WSET students need to taste wine in flights and compare the differences between styles, aroma/flavors, faults, and components. By having the immediate side-by-side comparison it becomes so much easier to understand the differences.

So to that point, I am producing four short posts that I will post above and permalink on the L3W Student resource page for the following topics: calibrating for tannin, acid, sugar, wood/maturation. Additionally, I am working on complimentary posts for understanding Body and Intensity (color, aroma, flavor). These will all include some guidance for sample brands to source in many locations. I am also working with a local retail package store in my area to develop WSET study kits that can be picked up or ordered for delivery, where legal. 

All this coming at you shortly, if not already. Cheers, BMitch