Learning to taste a Bordeaux wine
Let’s clear this up before we dive into the heart of the subject: tasting is neither an art reserved for insiders nor an inaccessible ritual. It is, above all, a meeting between a wine, a terroir, a know‑how, and a moment you choose to savour.
Still, a few foundations can help you go much further in flavour exploration and tasting pleasure.
why taste a wine ?
Because tasting is first and foremost a sensory journey.
It helps you understand a wine its balance, its intensity, its character, and whether it has ageing potential. That’s the role of a little sensory analysis.
Some of you may even venture into deeper territory : identifying, beyond flavour alone, a particular terroir, climate or winemaking method. Good luck… but yes, it is possible to “taste” such things in a wine. Wine speaks to those who learn to listen.
Tasting is learning to hear what the wine is telling you.
Step one : before anything else, you look at the wine
Long before the first nose, tasting begins with observation.
Tilt the glass slightly against a neutral background to examine what winemakers beautifully call the robe of the wine.
What should you look for ?
- colour : Wine has its own pantone. For reds, from bright ruby to deep garnet, with cherry or purple along the way. For whites, from pale silver‑tinted yellow to golden honey.For rosés, from marble‑pink to raspberry, including salmon hues. Colour offers indicators, especially about age.
- Clarity, transparency & brilliance : These traits hint at choices made during vinification (extraction, filtration…).
- tears : Those traces sliding down the glass walls tell you about viscosity, linked to glycerol, one of the natural alcohols in wine.
This first visual step gives an initial idea of style and primes your senses for what follows.
Step 2 : bringing your nose into the glass
They say smell is the key to tasting and with reason. Most aromatic perception happens before the first sip.
- The first nose : Smell the wine right after pouring, without swirling. This reveals the most volatile aromas simple at first, but essential for gauging intensity.
- the second nose : Swirl the wine gently to release a deeper aromatic wave. This is when the wine fully expresses itself. This first‑nose / second‑nose method also helps you answer a classic question : Should I decant my wine ?
The rule is simple : If the second nose is more expressive → decant. If the wine seems to lose precision when aerated (older wines, for example) → do not decant, or the wine may oxidize prematurely.
Aromatic families : your orientation compass
- Fruity : red fruits, black fruits, citrus, exotic fruits…
- Floral : rose, violet, white flowers, dried petals, potpourri (yes — common in great reds from Bordeaux)
- Spicy : pepper, vanilla, clove…
- Empyreumatic : tobacco, smoke, toast, cocoa, coffee…
- Animal : leather, musk, game
- Vegetal : grass, linden, undergrowth
It’s always fascinating to sense so many aromas in something made from nothing but fermented grapes.
Tips : the “Funnel technique”
A favourite in Bordeaux: Start broad, then narrow down.
For example : My wine is fruity (main family). Next : which type? Orchard fruit, red fruit, citrus, exotic ?
Suppose it’s red fruit → refine further : cherry, strawberry, raspberry, redcurrant ?
Then the level of ripeness: underripe strawberry, ripe, jammy, confit, or strawberry compote ?
Each step sharpens precision and stirs appetite.
Step 3 : finallyyou taste
The palate is where the wine reveals its full personality and all its hidden corners.
- The attack : The first impression : soft, lively, ample… often a strong clue to style.
- The mid‑palate : Does the wine grow, hold steady, retract, or fade ? Here you assess quality.
- The finish : How long do the flavours linger ? This aromatic persistence is measured in seconds — called caudalies.
- The Balance : harmony between acidity, alcohol, tannins (for reds), and possible sweetness (for liquoreux).
- The Structure and texture : silky, fleshy, melting, airy… every wine has its tactile signature and its poetic vocabulary.
The golden rule : trust yourself
There is no right or wrong answer only personal perception. Over time, familiar aromas emerge, textures become recognisable, preferences take shape.
To progress, nothing simpler: taste often, compare, discuss, stay curious. Bordeaux is an endless playground for learning. Château visits, meeting winemakers, events throughout the region — every encounter enriches your experience.