Four Blind Whites and a Suspect Bottle
At a blind-tasting workshop, four 2020 white wines are poured into identical ISO glasses at 12°C. All are dry, still, and from the same vintage but four different countries. Wine A is medium gold with baked apple, marzipan, and honey; acidity is low and the finish is slightly bitter. Wine B is pale lemon with green apple, lemon curd, and wet stone; acidity is high. Wine C is medium gold with bruised apple, a Sherry-like aldehyde note, and almost no primary fruit. Wine D is pale with grapefruit, passionfruit, and struck-match reduction; acidity is high. The flight is served without food in a 22°C room, and the glasses were polished with a towel that smells faintly of detergent. Candidates must assess faults and deduce grape and climate for the sound wines.
1. Which wine is faulty, what is the fault, and how do you distinguish it from botrytis and deliberate oxidative winemaking?
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Wine C is the faulty bottle. Medium gold color, bruised apple, a Sherry-like aldehyde note, and near-total loss of primary fruit point to oxidation, most likely premature oxidation given the 2020 vintage. Botrytis would show honey, marzipan, and saffron but usually retains a concentrated fruit core and a sweet-bitter balance. Deliberate oxidative styles such as vin jaune or sherry-style wines show aldehydes but are stylistically consistent and usually have more textural drive and saltiness. Wine A could be botrytis-affected or slightly oxidative, but it still shows baked apple and a bitter finish, so I would not call it faulty without a second bottle. The detergent-polished glass may suppress aromas, so I would re-polish with hot water and re-check C before rejecting it.
2. For wines B and D, deduce likely grape variety families and climate, and explain how the 12°C service temperature affects your deduction.
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Wine B's pale lemon color, green apple, lemon curd, wet stone, and high acidity suggest a cool-climate Chardonnay, likely Chablis or a cool New World site. Wine D's grapefruit, passionfruit, high acidity, and struck-match reduction suggest Sauvignon Blanc from a cool maritime climate such as Marlborough or the Loire. The 12°C temperature suppresses volatile aromatics and emphasizes acidity and structure; at warmer temperatures D's thiols would be more tropical and B's lees and stone notes more expansive. I should not over-interpret the muted nose; I would warm the glasses in my hands and re-smell before final deduction.
3. What service intervention do you recommend for suspect bottles, and how do you communicate it?
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I would stop pouring C, set it aside, and open a second bottle of the same wine for comparison; if the second bottle is fresh, the first is a clear fault and should be replaced without charge. I would tell the guest plainly: 'This bottle is oxidized; I am replacing it and will check the remaining stock.' I would also check storage and the polishing towel, log the bottle, and inform the buyer. For A, I would present it as a stylistic wine rather than a fault, but offer a taste comparison so the guest can decide.