long, much-derided tasting term for wines whose impact on the palate is particularly persistent. A wine that is long is usually of high quality. On the basis of studies in other food systems, it is assumed that wine colloids have a role to play in lengthening the palate of a wine. This occurs through interaction of various flavour compounds with particular colloids resulting in some or all of the wine’s flavour compounds being retained in the mouth, along with the associated polymers, after the wine has been swallowed. Delayed release of the flavour compounds then accounts for the persistent or long palate of the wine. See also tasting and caudalie.
