Category: WSET Diploma

WSET Diploma

Kaolin – “Partons Vite”: NV Bailly Lapierre Crémant de Bourgogne Réserve Brut

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, pale lemon-green, bubbles noted
Nose: clean, youthful, med intensity, green apple, mineral, white flowers, pear, citrus, flint, hint autolysis, white bread
Mouth: dry, med+ acid, med- alcohol, med- body, med+ flavour intensity, flint, apple, pear, mineral, hint autolysis, floral, med length, creamy mousse
All in all: Good quality: the moderately complex sparkling wine is balanced, but could benefit from more concentration and persistence. Drink now; not suitable for ageing. 
Identity Guess: Mid-priced Non-Vintage Crémant de Bourgogne from France.
Is really: Mid-priced Non-Vintage Crémant de Bourgogne from France.

NV Bailly Lapierre Crémant de Bourgogne Réserve Brut

[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 2 – Week 1]

Crémant is practically the poor man’s Champagne – the French sparkling is made in the traditional method, with permitted grapes depending on the region.… read more

Life · WSET Diploma

Riesling to the Occasion

Posted on by Josh

Oh hey! The quicker you understand the pun, the higher chance that you’re pronouncing “Riesling” wrong. But it’s all good. Sucka.

There’s something about August that ends up being too busy. You’d think that it would be the summer void-hole month of boredom that makes me crave the September Issue newness of my life, but it’s more like a crescendo. The same thing happened last year. I guess that happens when you decide to do things during the summer.

I’ve since completed the lecture portions of Unit 4 (Spirits of the World) for the WSET Diploma. Interesting as hell, but equally as tough. Arguably, the world of spirits is a little bit more focussed, which in turn, which makes it easier to learn.… read more

WSET Diploma

2010 Redtree Petite Sirah

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, med+ purple, legs
Nose: clean, med+ acidity, youthful, black pepper, damson, jam, raspberry, red fruit, spice, vanilla, earth, black cherry, cloves
Mouth: dry, med body, med+ acid, med+ fine tannin, med alcohol, med flavour intensity, med finish, black pepper, jammy red fruit, raspberry, blueberry, ripe
All in all: Good quality: has rich and concentrated jammy fruit that doesn’t veer onto the depths of confection. The wine has a good amount of structure, but the finish is slightly overripe. Drink now; not suitable for ageing.

2010 Redtree Petite SirahI am not one to cradle Petite Sirah out of all grapes. Petite Sirah, a crossing between 1880 Peloursin and Syrah (also called Durif). I’ve never loved a wine that Petite Sirah has touched – it’s not unusual to find this in a jammy (and sometimes confected or even off-dry) Californian Red; more than a few examples have been enough to condition me away from it.… read more

Life · WSET Diploma

WSET Diploma – Section 1 – Week 11

Posted on by Josh

June 19th, 2013

Eventful week. Too eventful. And late post! Let’s work through this day by day.

Thursday 13th
Finally saw SOMM with a co-worker. Fantastic, emotional stuff. A glimpse of the other side of the industry. Since then I’ve made my parents watch it, and a friend is coming over next week for a movie marathon and little does she know I’m making her watch this. I’ll need a separate blog post to talk more about it, so watch that space.

After the movie we decided to go out for cocktails in Gastown out of all things (we didn’t feel like wine for some reason) and so we headed to the Pourhouse and the Diamond. Afterwards she left and I met with another coworker, and we had beers at St.… read more

WSET Diploma

2007 Vietti “Masseria” Barbaresco

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, med- tawny, legs
Nose: clean, pronounced intensity, developing, floral, tar, cherry, wood, hay, spice, dried herbs, dried red fruit, earth, mineral, wood, hay
Mouth: dry, full body, high coarse tannin, high acid, med+ alcohol, long length, med flavour intensity, sour cherry, strawberry, earth, tar, mineral, olive, oak, savoury
All in all: Very good quality: A high acid and amazingly mouth-drying tannins are woven well if not slightly aggressive – but give impressive balanced structure. The levels of complexity are high, and the wine is persistent. Can drink now, but has potential for ageing.
Identity Guess: Premium (Barbera/Sangiovese/Nebbiolo) from Piedmont, Italy; 6 years old.
Is really: Super-Premium Barbaresco from Piedmont, Italy; 6 years old.

2007 Vietti "Masseria" Barbaresco[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 1 – Week 11]

Though I’m not the biggest Nebbiolo evangelist (yet), the idea of the grape fascinates me.… read more

WSET Diploma

2008 Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, med- garnet, legs
Nose: clean, med+ intensity, developing, red fruit, earthy, sour cherry, floral, pine, dried herbs, mineral, strawberry, savoury, meaty
Mouth: dry, med body, high coarse tannin, med+ acid, med alcohol, med+ flavour intensity, med+ length, sour cherry, earth, red fruit, herbal, strawberry, spice, savoury, leather, dried fruit, orange peel, baking spice
All in all: Very good quality: the acid is high and the generous tannins are rough but are well woven into the wine, giving good structure for more ageing and further complexity. Persistent. Can drink now, but has potential for ageing.
Identity Guess: High-priced (Barbera/Sangiovese/Nebbiolo) from Tuscany, Italy; 3 years old.
Is really: High-priced Sangiovese from Tuscany, Italy; 5 years old.

2008 Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 1 – Week 11]

Had to read out my nose notes for this one.… read more

WSET Diploma

2010 Batasiolo Barbera d’Alba

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, pale ruby, legs
Nose: clean, med+ intensity, youthful, earth, cherry, black cherry, spice, red fruit, green or herbal component, raspberry, simple
Mouth: dry, med body, med+ acid, med flavour intensity, med- coarse tannin, med alcohol, med length, sour cherry, raspberry, earth, spice
All in all: Good quality: the wine is balanced especially with relatively higher amounts of acidity and rough tannin, but it remains a bit simple and could have a longer persistence. Drink now; not suitable for ageing.
Identity Guess: Mid-priced (Barbera [d’Alba]/Sangiovese/Nebbiolo) from Piedmont, Italy; 3 years old.
Is really: Mid-priced Barbera d’Alba from Piedmont, Italy; 3 years old.

2010 Batasiolo Barbera d'Alba[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 1 – Week 11]

I have a soft spot for Barbera – I really do.… read more

Life · WSET Diploma

WSET Diploma – Section 1 – Week 10

Posted on by Josh

June 12, 2013

*insert obligatory “this week has gone by so fast” statement here*

2 more weeks until the exam.

2 more weeks.

omgrs

Part of me is freaked out, but part of me feels confident that I can pass this thing if I took it right now – I think I’m currently in the solidifying phase, where I’m cementing my knowledge by going through everything and cross-referencing my knowledge using other books. It’s tedious, but it’s also the same phase of studying where you read it and mentally fill in the blanks, and you know it well enough that you can finally recite it. So that’s great.

Not much has happened during the week besides studying, some festivals, and the Game of Thrones finale.… read more

WSET Diploma

2010 Bellingham “The Bernard Series” Old Vine Chenin Blanc

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, med lemon, legs
Nose: clean, developing, med+ intensity, mineral, yellow apple, spice, butter, oak, vanilla, wet wool
Mouth: dry, med+ body, med+ acid, med alcohol, med flavour intensity, med+ length, citrus, lemon, baked apple, butter
All in all: Very good quality: persistent finish, good structure, and a balance found in both the fruit and the secondary characteristics. Drink now, but has potential for short term ageing.
Identity Guess: Mid-priced (Riesling/Pinot Gris/Muscat/Gewurztraminer/Chenin Blanc) from South Africa; 2 years old.
Is really: Mid-priced Chenin Blanc from South Africa; 3 years old.

2010 Bellingham "The Bernard Series" Old Vine Chenin Blanc[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 1 – Week 10]

I love Chenin Blanc. I’m not entirely sure why – perhaps because it’s versatile, but in such a different way than Riesling or Chardonnay.… read more

WSET Diploma

2009 Pfaffenheim “Steinert” Gewurztraminer

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, med lemon, legs
Nose: clean, med intensity, developing?, tropical, mango, stone fruit, citrus, honey, sweetness, floral
Mouth: off-dry, med+ body, med- acid, med+ alcohol, med+ flavour intensity, med+ length, ripe stone fruit, spice, floral, rosewater
All in all: Good quality: Persistent, complex, and concentrated, but lacks some structure and the alcohol is a bit warming. Drink now; not suitable for ageing. (Perhaps slightly corked? The instructor has had lots of experience with this wine but it wasn’t the same as she expected – perhaps not as aromatic and complex as it should be.)
Identity Guess: High-priced (Riesling/Pinot Gris/Muscat/Gewurztraminer/Chenin Blanc) from Alsace, France; 2 years old.
Is really: High-priced Gewurztraminer from Alsace, France; 4 years old.… read more