WINE TASTING NOTES
A tasting note describes three things: appearance (colour, clarity, viscosity), aroma (the ‘nose’), and flavour on the palate (including finish and overall balance). The vocabulary can seem impenetrable at first, but it follows a logical structure rooted in the actual sensory experience of the wine.
Primary Aromas (Fruit & Floral)
In young wines: red fruits (cherry, raspberry, strawberry), black fruits (blackcurrant, blackberry, plum), white fruits (apple, pear, peach), and tropical fruits. Floral notes include violet, rose, and elderflower.
Secondary Aromas (From Fermentation)
Bread, biscuit, brioche, cream, cheese. These are produced by yeast during fermentation and are particularly prominent in Champagne and other sparkling wines.
Tertiary Aromas (From Ageing)
With time in oak and bottle, wines develop tertiary or ‘developed’ aromas: leather, tobacco, earth, mushroom, truffle, dried fruit, coffee, chocolate, cedar, vanilla, coconut. These are the markers of a wine that has been allowed time to evolve.
WHISKY TASTING NOTES
Whisky tasting notes follow a similar structure but reflect the influence of the cask, the distillation process, the water source, and in some cases, the peat. The four categories to consider: aroma (nosing), taste (palate), finish (length and character of the aftertaste), and balance.
Key Whisky Descriptors
Speyside: honeyed malt, stone fruit, floral, gentle oak, toffee. Islay: medicinal, phenolic, coastal salt, seaweed, smoked fish, peat. Highland: heather honey, dried fruit, spice, oak. Bourbon/American: vanilla, caramel, corn sweetness, rye spice, charred oak. Japanese: delicate, floral, precise fruit, subtle smoke, great balance.
SCORES AND RATINGS
We display scores from the world’s leading publications: Wine Spectator (100-point scale), Robert Parker / Wine Advocate (100-point), Decanter Magazine (100-point), Whisky Advocate (100-point), and Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible (100-point). A score of 95+ represents an exceptional, near-flawless wine or spirit. A score of 90–94 represents outstanding quality. 85–89 is very good.
