Wine tasting allows you to discover all the qualities of a vintage and to determine whether you are dealing with a good wine or just any bottle. To achieve this, you need to know the characteristics of a good wine. We then reveal to you in this article how to recognize a good bottle of wine .
Criterion n°1: the balance of the wine
When we say that a wine has a good balance , we are referring to the harmony between the different elements that characterize the wines: the alcohol content, the aromas, the tannins, the residual sugar level, or even acidity. This taste balance is different depending on the type of wine:
- With red wines, harmony is achieved between acidity, alcohol and tannins;
- With white wines, the harmony is between acidity and alcohol.
The goal is to find a balanced wine in which no sensation takes precedence over another. If you feel, in the mouth and even on the nose, one element more striking than another, you can consider that the wine is not in the category of very good bottles.
If you want to try the experience of a very good balanced wine , we recommend the Origin cuvée, a 2021 rosé in AOP Côtes de Provence . This organic wine from the Ultimate Provence estate is a perfectly balanced wine, but also very bold, with fruit aromas and menthol notes, a dynamic attack and a fresh finish.
Criterion n°2: aromatic persistence
Aromatic persistence, or length in the mouth , characterizes wines for which we still feel the aromas in the mouth, long after the last sip. Good persistence of aromas is always synonymous with a grand cru. So, if you taste a wine that is quickly forgotten and whose aromas fade quickly, you can classify the bottle as a poor quality wine.
In oenology, during a wine tasting, wine lovers measure the length in the mouth of a wine by caudalie. This unit of measurement corresponds to one second. We consider that a good wine has a persistence in the mouth of 3 to 9 caudalies , but the best bottles can go up to 20 caudalies.
We often associate very good wines with red wines, however, the Grande Récolte from the Domaine de Berne, an AOP Côtes de Provence rosé wine from 2022 , will prove to you the excellence of certain rosé wines. You will then discover a very long, round and floral finish.
Criterion n°3: quality/price ratio
When it comes to wine, it's not uncommon to pay the price, only to be disappointed. But the opposite is also common! Evaluating the quality/price ratio is often a matter of personal taste, but if you feel that the quality of the wine is entirely consistent with the price of the bottle, and that you have a good time tasting it, then you can consider that you are dealing with a good wine.
The price of a wine does not depend only on its quality, but also on the reputation of the wine estate, its appellation, or even the vintage. If you want to taste a very good wine for less than €15 , try the white wine Le Pigeonnier, an AOC Côtes de Provence from Château Saint-Roux . You will taste a tasty, fresh and fruity organic wine, for less than €15.
Criterion n°4: the intensity of the aromas
A quality wine is also characterized by the intensity of its aromas . The more developed and intense its fragrances are, the more it is considered to be of good quality. From the olfactory examination of the wine, you can therefore detect the different aromas and their intensity.
Wine lovers often recognize the best wines by their grape varieties. Indeed, certain grape varieties have a stronger aromatic intensity , as is the case with Riesling for white wines, or Cabernet Sauvignon for red wines. Not all wines made from these grape varieties are necessarily good quality, and wines from other grape varieties are not necessarily bad, but this can give you an idea.
To understand what the aromatic intensity of a wine is, nothing better than the Grande Cuvée de Berne, an AOP Côtes de Provence 2019 red wine which combines 2 black grape varieties of great intensity: syrah and cabernet sauvignon . This organic wine is a very good bottle of wine to accompany powerful dishes.
Criterion No. 5: complexity of aromas
Aromatic intensity is a guarantee of quality, but aromatic complexity is also crucial. A quality wine will have a very broad aromatic nuance, and throughout the tasting, you will discover new flavors. Thus, a wine with beautiful complexity of aromas is defined as a wine having several aromas, which are revealed during tasting.
We can then distinguish, with the best wines, primary aromas (from the grape variety), secondary aromas (from winemaking), but also sometimes tertiary aromas (from the aging of the wine).
Criterion n°6: the vintage of the wine
Finally, it is important to know that not all years are the same in oenology, and some vintages are better than others . Depending on the climatic conditions, the vines evolve more or less well, and the grapes are of more or less good quality. This has a direct impact on the wine, and the vintage of a wine can therefore give a valuable indication of the tasting experience that a wine promises you.
Good and bad years are essentially the same for all types of wine, but we can remember exceptional vintages for each:
- For red wines: 2005, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020 and 2022;
- For white wines: 2003, 2005, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022;
- For rosé wines: 2007, 2009, 2010, from 2015 to 2018, from 2020 to 2022.
Do you want to learn how to distinguish a good wine from a mediocre wine ? You are now informed to know how to decipher the qualities of good bottles and thus complete your wine cellar with the best of winemaking.
