Once you have learnt the basics of wine tasting, found on the main page, in this section you can test yourself and learn to distinguish the characteristics of different types of wine. You only have to get hold of the bottles of wine we mention below (we try to recommend wines that economically accessible) and sit in front of your PC with the appropriate glass of wine.
HOW TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN A YOUNG WINE AND A WINE AGED IN THE BARREL AND THEN IN THE BOTTLE. For this test we use the following wines:
Young: Luberri 2004 carbonic maceration Approx price. Shop: 5.40 €
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Aged: Luis Cañas crianza 2002
Approx price. Shop: 6.80 €

   

SIGHT Holding the two wine glasses at the same height, tilt both through 45º against a white, matt background in order to appreciate different shades of colour.
 
With the Luberri 2004 wine, we see greater intensity of colour, being a younger wine. This is a deep cherry red with violetish edges. Luis Cañas crianza 2002, on the other hand, will have less intense cherry hues with garnet-coloured edges.

SMELL
 
In the olphatory phase, on bringing the wines to the nose, we can see that both are clean, without any odd smell, but different one from the other.
With the Luberri, greater colour intensity is observed on swirling the wine in the glass, as well as a greater aromatic intensity (the aroma is stronger); on the other hand, while the aromatic strength of the Luis Cañas is less, it has a greater complexity of smells (different groups of aromas can be detected).
The Luberri has many primary aromas – provided by the grape. Bringing the glass to the nose, we close our eyes and concentrate and we can smell wild red berries (raspberry, redcurrant...), much freshness and a touch of a lactic component; this is why one could be reminded of fruits of the wood yoghourt. In the end, a touch of something herbal or grassy may also be observed.
With the Luis Cañas, the two types of aromas are quite different. The first impression gives us aromas provided by the barrel. The fruit is there but, while fruits of the wood were observed with the previous wine, here we appreciate more mature and sweeter red fruits; in other words, of redcurrant or blackcurrant jam. The wood is represented by hints of vanilla, burnt, cedar (cigar box) and toasted (as when we are near coffee machines toasting coffee beans).
MOUTH
 


Bringing the Luberri to the mouth, the entrance is dry (it does not contain sugars), observing a slight tickle at the tip of the tongue, arising from the effervescence from the carbonic production method. This carbon dioxide produced as a result of the fermentation, is normal in young, recently bottled wines. Once swirled and oxygenated and moved around the mouth, we should perceive that the wine does not leave many taste sensations (on closing your eyes and sticking out your tongue, you will hardy notice taste sensations on your taste buds). But you will observe a slight astringency (dryness) at the centre of the tongue and on the gums. The main characteristic of this wine in the mouth will be its lengthy retronasal phase, i.e. the great number of aromas left in the mouth by this type of wine. The aftertaste in the mouth is not very long, once the wine is swallowed, it does not last long.

With Luis Cañas, on swirling it around the mouth, we will perceive that it is denser and heavier than the previous (due to the fact that it has more body). Dry entrance: on closing your eyes and sticking out your tongue, you will observe a slight acidity at the sides of the tongue; this is a sign that it has certain acidity. We can subsequently appreciate a bitter sensation at the back of the tongue. We will perceive a dry sensation of the upper gums (something harsh about it), but different from the young wine. With the young wine we perceive a somewhat grassy astringency, while with this one we observe the tanicity that the barrel has given it; a less grassy and possibly - for some – a more pleasant harshness. In my view, both sensations are pleasant but just somewhat different. The aftertaste of a glass of Luis Cañas is long lasting and agreeable given the full-bodied taste in the mouth and its slight tanicity, which hangs on the gums.
RESUME
we have here two wines that re more than acceptable price-quality wise. The young wine maintains a great nose due to the aromas provided by the grape. Although it feels light on the palate, compared with a more mature wine, this is not the case when comparing it to other young wines. The second wine is stronger on the palate and stays longer, given its aromatic complexity and the fact that it has more body.
See you next month!