Tasting Terms

tasting terms, the myriad and oft-mocked words used by tasters in an often vain attempt to describe sensory impressions received during tasting.

The sense of smell is an exceptionally private one, for which there is no common public domain which can be codified. The best we can do is describe aromas by other aromas of which they remind us. Hence ‘blackcurrant’ or cassis, frequently for Cabernet Sauvignon; ‘strawberry’ or ‘raspberry’ perhaps for Pinot Noir; ‘vanilla’ for oak, and so on. Science is starting to correlate the flavour compounds found in different grape varieties (if not yet different terroirs) with those found in the objects used as taste descriptors.