Category: WSET Diploma

WSET Diploma

2009 Clos de los Siete

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, deep ruby, legs
Nose: clean, med intensity, developing, earth, musty, pepper, spice, blackberry, black fruits, blueberry, blackcurrant, oak
Mouth: dry, med+ acid, med+ fine tannin, med+ alcohol, med+ body, med+ flavour intensity, blackberry, blueberry, earthy, gamey, savoury, bitter, med+ length
All in all: Good quality: the flavour components are intense and concentrated as is the structure, with a well-integrated acidity and a high level of smooth tannin; however, there is a bit of a bitter finish. Drink now, but has potential for ageing.
Identity guess: High-priced Shiraz from Australia; 2 years old.
Is really: Mid-priced red blend (57% Malbec, 15% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah, 3% Petit Verdot) from Argentina; 4 years old.

2009 Clos de los Siete

[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 1 – Week 6]

First off: the label and the name.… read more

WSET Diploma

2011 Christophe Pacalet Beaujolais-Villages

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, med+ ruby, purple rim
Nose: clean, med intensity, youthful, red fruit, black cherry, juicy raspberry, spice, floral, grapey
Mouth: dry, high acid, med- tannin, med alcohol, med- body, med flavour intensity, grapey, cherry, juicy, med length
All in all: Good quality: the high acidity and tongue-coating brightness is well balanced; 100 percent ambient yeast gives a lovely complexity. The finish could be longer, and the mid-palate seems a little hollow.
Identity guess: Mid-priced Beaujolais-Villages from France; 2 years old.
Is really: Mid-priced Beaujolais-Villages from France; 2 years old.

2011 Christophe Pacalet Beaujolais-Villages

[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 1 – Week 6]

YES.

Let the record show that I actually guessed this wine correctly right down to the very wine – it was the only wine during the class in which I didn’t really second guess the grape, region, or any other factor.… read more

WSET Diploma

2011 Heggies Vineyard Chardonnay

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, med- lemon, legs
Nose: clean, med intensity, developing, yoghurt, lees, citrus, butter, oak, vanilla, stone fruit
Mouth: dry, med+ body, med alcohol, med+ acid, med+ flavour intensity, creamy, lees, citrus, textured, savoury, cheese, med+ finish
All in all: Good quality: wonderful balance is displayed within the components on the palate and the concentration is present, but there is an (inoffensive) slight lack in complexity.
Identity guess: High-priced Pinot Gris from BC; 3 years old.
Is really: High-priced Chardonnay from Australia; 2 years old.

2011 Heggies Vineyard Chardonnay

[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 1 – Week 6]

Despite my fascination over a fresher and comparatively lighter style of Chardonnay (yet of lower quality) that we compared this to, here’s one where care has coaxed it into a balanced expression of the variety.… read more

WSET Diploma

2011 Peter Lehmann “Weighbridge” Unwooded Chardonnay

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, med- lemon, legs
Nose: clean, med intensity, youthful, citrus, mineral, slight creamy/yoghurt/lees
Mouth: dry, med body, med+ acid, med alcohol, med- flavour intensity, short finish, citrus, slight creaminess, mineral, pear
All in all: Acceptable quality: the wine is mostly inoffensive and done in a fresh and clean style, but the wine has a relatively short length, disjointed acidity, and a palate that comes off as slightly dilute. Drink now; not suitable for ageing.
Identity guess: Inexpensive Pinot Gris from Italy; 2 years old.
Is really: Inexpensive Chardonnay from Australia; 2 years old.

2011 Peter Lehmann "Weighbridge" Unwooded Chardonnay

[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 1 – Week 6]

If there’s one thing worse than my guess-everything-is-from-Chile thing, it’s my confusion with Pinot Gris and Chardonnay.… read more

Life · WSET Diploma

WSET Diploma – Section 1 – Week 5

Posted on by Josh

Oh my Jancis. This pizza of a week has gone by so fast that I hardly remember what the toppings were.

chiantiweek5My main free days include Friday, Monday, and Tuesday, meaning, realistically, that I should have at least half of those days dedicated to WSET studying and say maybe half of it for fun, while all other studying has to be squirrelled away before or after work. The material for this week was the largest section for the Viticulture unit and so I didn’t get the readings thoroughly done, so I’ll have to catch up somehow, even though this Friday is self-proclaimed beach day with the friends and I’m excited because I’m making experimental sandwiches. Experimental sandwiches. You can’t not enjoy the beach on a beautiful day in a month that high schoolers won’t have infested yet.… read more

WSET Diploma

2006 Ruffino “Riserva Dicale Oro” Chianti Classico Riserva

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, deep garnet, legs
Nose: clean, med+ intensity, developing, spice, oak, stewed red fruit, sour cherry, oak, dried herbs, cola, cedar, leather, smoke, prune
Mouth: dry, med+ bodied, high acid, med tannin, med+ flavour intensity, med alcohol, med+ length, sour cherry, spice, leather
All in all: Very good quality: the components are very well balanced. The high acidity is integrated with the concentrated and complex flavours. The length is long, but the alcohol was slightly imbalanced. Drink now, but has potential for ageing.
Identity guess: High-priced Chianti from Italy; 4 years old.
Is really: Premium Chianti Classico Riserva from Italy; 7 years old.

2006 Ruffino "Riserva Dicale Oro" Chianti Classico Riserva

[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 1 – Week 5]

In theory I’ve never really been hot about Chianti.… read more

WSET Diploma

2011 Ruffino Chianti

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, med+ ruby, legs
Nose: clean, med intensity, youthful, ripe red fruit, cherry, spice, black pepper, dried herbal notes, slight confected note
Mouth: dry, med bodied, med+ acid, med- tannin, med- flavour intensity, med alcohol, med- finish, cherry, red fruit
All in all: Good quality: despite simple characteristics and a relatively short finish, this wine had a well-integrated high acidity that provided structure wish fresh intensity. Drink now; not suitable for ageing.
Identity Guess: Mid-priced Chianti from Italy; 2 years old.
Crossed that out like a dingus and instead guessed: Mid-priced Beaujolais-Villages from France; 2 years old.
Is really: Mid-priced Chianti from Italy; 2 years old.

2011 Ruffino Chianti

[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 1 – Week 5]

I always thought that tasting wines comparatively always helped – and it does – but the strength can also be a pitfall. … read more

Life · WSET Diploma

WSET Diploma – Section 1 – Week 4

Posted on by Josh

First: happy birthday, blog! An excuse to open wine is all that’s good for. Moving on.

I think I’m beginning to get into a real groove of studying for this course. Weirdly, I’m using some studying techniques from high school which take a long time to actually do, but I think that the information sticks to my brain like Australian Shiraz sticks to the glass.

I’m just a touch behind on my study schedule, since I aimed to have studied and read all of the first element of the WSET study guide (viticulture) by today. But all is well, since I studied everything I needed to study for today’s lecture, which was essentially a consolidating class – i.e. one of those classes where I would silently complete the sentences of the instructor and subsequently feel both awesome and awkward, but mostly awkward for being that guy.… read more

WSET Diploma

2009 Stella Bella Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, deep ruby, legs
Nose: clean, med+ intensity, developing, soy, leather, dark cherry, stewed red fruits, black fruits, oak, mint, green pepper (capiscum), eucalyptus, meat, vanilla, hints of cola
Mouth: dry, med acid, med fine tannin, med+ alcohol, med+ body, med flavour intensity, med+ finish, savoury, leather, green bell pepper, dark cherry, cedar
All in all: Good quality: the flavour characteristics in the wine definitely showed grape character and a sense of place (despite the fact that I got it wrong) along with a relatively long finish. On the nose, I feel that there should be a little bit more fruit to tame the secondary characteristics, along with balance – the slightly lower acid on the palate makes the ripeness a little bit more evident although by no means does this ruin or distract the balance too negatively.… read more

WSET Diploma

2009 Baron Philippe de Rothschild “Baron Nathaniel” Pauillac

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, deep ruby, legs
Nose: clean, med+ intensity, youthful, blackberry, plum, spice, oak, cola, earth, mint, eucalyptus
Mouth: dry, med+ acid, med+ coarse tannin, med+ alcohol, med body, med flavour intensity, long finish, savoury, black cherry, black fruits
All in all: Good quality (apparently on the higher end of such): a long finish is complemented by a balanced structure. Age can both add character to the average complexity and soften the slightly rough tannin. Can drink now, but has potential for ageing.
Identity guess: High-priced Merlot from Chile; 2 years old. (although I was TRICKED, I TELL YOU)
Is really: High-priced left bank Bordeaux from France; 4 years old.

2009 Baron Philippe de Rothschild "Baron Nathaniel" Pauillac[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 1 – Week 4]

Hi.… read more