Critics are not born with better noses. They simply slow down. Here is the exact five-step ritual we teach every Saturday at the tasting hall — try it tonight with whatever is open.
1 · Look
Hold the glass against something white and really look. A young red should glow ruby at the rim; an older one turns brick-orange where the wine meets air. Whites deepen from pale straw toward gold with age. Colour is the wine's autobiography — read the first page.
2 · Swirl
Keep the glass on the table and draw small circles until it feels natural — no splashing required. Swirling coats the bowl and wakes the aromas up. Watch the legs slide down afterwards: slow, thick legs hint at body and alcohol; fast thin ones at lightness.
“Ninety percent of tasting is smelling. The mouth mostly confirms what the nose already decided.”
3 · Sniff
Dip your nose in and take two short sniffs, then name three things — fruit, then everything else. Cherry? Leather? The pencil shavings of a new barrel? There are no wrong answers, only vague ones. “Smells like wine” is where everyone starts; “blackcurrant and cedar” is a month of practice away.
4 · Sip
Take enough to coat your mouth and chew it, literally — move it around. Ask four questions: Is it sweet or dry? How sharp is the acidity (does it make you salivate)? How grippy are the tannins (does your tongue feel like suede)? How long does the flavour last after swallowing?
5 · Savour
The finish is the critic's true measure. Ten seconds is pleasant, thirty is memorable, a minute is the reason certain bottles cost what they do. Our Estate Pinot finishes at about forty-five — time it and see.