Good news: I am now a Master of Wine Candidate

I received a letter last week from the Institute of Masters of Wine notifying me that I was accepted into the Master of Wine(MW) program! I am very pleased. As such, I decided to stay in Napa for two additional weeks. I was able to meet with other candidates such as Peg, Elaine, Nile, and Annette as well as MWs such as Tim and hopefully, Peter(last names discluded to protect their privacy). Each person had their own spin and approach to the program and it was extremely helpful to meet with each person.

To be honest, I’m a bit intimidated about the breadth and depth of knowledge that I’m expected to know. The San Francisco Chronicle wrote, “Notoriously difficult and outrageously expensive to earn, the Master of Wine title is the wine professionals grail. By most accounts, acquiring Master of Wine status requires vast amounts of study time, frightening sums of money and the stomach for repeated failure. In the nearly two decades the exam has been open to Americans, only 24 have passed.”

The Institute expects me to have a worldwide perspective. My past year abroad has provided me with a much deeper understanding but the real work has just begun. I’m up for the challenge as my passion for wine is unparalleled. Stay tuned for more technical posts.

Below are the tasting notes that I submitted along with my application. I need to get up to speed as I’ve been told that I’ll be placed at the Napa seminar, held in the beginning of February 2009.

1. Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy - 2005
Chianti Classico, 2005, Fattoria di Felsina

Q1. Identify the grape variety or varieties, citing reasons you can identify by tasting the wine.

Sangiovese
Medium plus alcohol, medium body, cherry and tobacco notes, with an earthy terroir driven plate point to Tempranillo, Sangiovese, Barbera or Nebbiolo. High acidity points to a Sangiovese, Barbera or Nebbiolo. Firm and tight tannins point to Sangiovese or Nebbiolo. Dusty earth, spice and a savouriness with a lack of tar on the palate points to Sangiovese.

Q2. Identify origin as closely as possible, again using characteristics present in the wine itself.

Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy
Medium plus ruby color, terroir driven aromas, and medium plus alcohol point to an Old World wine rather than a New World wine such as Rioja, Piedmont, or Tuscany. Notes of new oak, French or Slavonian in provenance point away from Rioja. Tight tannins and high acidity point to Piedmont or Tuscany. Varietal, with cherry and plum notes with herby and savory notes point to Tuscany. Medium plus but not concentrated weight, complexity, and intensity point to Chianti Classico but away from a powerful, deep, complex Brunello.

Q3. Assess the quality of wine you have used, looking at elements such as balance, depth, concentration, harmony and integration.

This is a very good quality Chianti Classico. Medium plus ruby color, excellent balance, optimally ripe cherry notes of good depth and concentration, judicious use of oak, medium plus length and medium plus level of complexity of earth and spice all point to a very good quality wine that is harmonious and well-integrated. Ripe yet firm tannins and good acidity suggest a wine that is ready to drink now although one that could also improve with a few more years in the bottle.

2. Shiraz, Hunter Valley, Australia - 2005
Hunter Valley Shiraz, 2005, Hope Estate

Q1. Identify the grape variety or varieties, citing reasons you can identify by tasting the wine.

Shiraz
Dry, ripe, full-bodied, highish alcohol with a fruit driven, pepper-spiced palate and full oak treatment suggest a Cabernet, Merlot, or Shiraz. Lack of pyrazine and leathery notes point away from Cabernet. Dark black berry flavors with chocolate undertones, licorice and jam on the palate with sweet spice, moderate acidity, and high tannins point away from Merlot towards a Shiraz.

Q2. Identify origin as closely as possible, again using characteristics present in the wine itself.

Hunter Valley, Australia
Warmer climate character such as a deep purple/ruby color, ripe black fruit, highish alcohol, full body, moderate acid suggest California, Chile, Argentina, or Australia. Sweet and ripe black fruits, spices, and chocolate on the palate, dense weight, supple texture, softer tannins with hints of leather point to a wine from Australia. Not alcoholic or brawny enough for a Barossa or McClaren Vale Shiraz. More primary fruit vs spices, less intense concentration and relatively balanced alcohol suggest Hunter Valley.

Q3. Assess the quality of wine you have used, looking at elements such as balance, depth, concentration, harmony and integration.

Good quality, above commercial but not premium Hunter shiraz as evidenced by its easy drinkability with medium balance, medium plus intensity of blackberries, spice and leather and chocolate, medium length, good integration of fruit and oak, limited depth, and limited complexity and concentration. Harmonious although highish alcohol disjoints the integration. Average tannin levels, moderate acidity and ripe fruit characters suggest that the wine needs to be consumed in the next several years.

3. Fino Sherry, Jerez, Spain - NV
Puerto Fino, NV, Emilio Lustau

Q1. Identify the grape variety or varieties, citing reasons you can identify by tasting the wine.

Palomino
Dry with a fresh, flor-driven, distinctively tangy and subtle nut character on the palate and crisp acidity suggests palomino, furmint, or savagnin. Does not have the dried fruit character of dry, flor-driven furmint. Higher alcohol points to a fortified wine, confirming palomino.

Q2. Identify origin as closely as possible, again using characteristics present in the wine itself.

Jerez, Spain
A flor-driven acetaldehyde characters of marine, yeast and apple aromas with a tangy and nutty palate point to a wine from the Jura, France, Tokaji, Hungary, Jerez, Spain, Australia, or South Africa. Pale straw color, unoxidized aroma, lighter body, along with higher alcohol point to a fortified wine such as fino, supporting palomino variety, made in Jerez, Spain, Australia, or South Africa. Better finesse points to Jerez, Spain.

Q3. Assess the quality of wine you have used, looking at elements such as balance, depth, concentration, harmony and integration.

Very good quality fino sherry as evidenced by freshness, good balance, complex and pungent yeasty flor aromas, high intensity and depth of tanginess and nut flavors, medium plus length, medium plus depth, excellent concentration, and high overall finesse. Harmonious and well-integrated. Light, delicate, dry fino sherries are best consumed while still youthful, ideally within eight months of bottling.

4. White Bordeaux AC, France - 2006
Le G de Chateau Guiraud, 2006, Chateau Giraud

Q1. Identify the grape variety or varieties, citing reasons you can identify by tasting the wine.

Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon
Moderate plus alcohol with notes of grapefruit and pineapple suggest varieties such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc, Semillon, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Blanc. Evidence of oak suggests a variety with an affinity to oak such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc, and Semillon. High acidity, with grassy and herbaceous flavors point to sauvignon blanc. A bit of creaminess, increased body and waxy, fig character suggest a Semillon component.

Q2. Identify origin as closely as possible, again using characteristics present in the wine itself.

White Bordeaux AC, France
Dry, with a pale straw color, moderate plus alcohol, good but not bracing acidity, fresh and lifted but not pungent aromatics of grassy, herbaceousness, grapefruit, and subtle white peach combined with grapefruit and pineapple on the palate suggest a moderate climate such as Bordeaux, Western Australia, or New Zealand. Intensity of fruit lacks the exuberance of New Zealand. Varietals, a sauvignon/semillon blend, would likely be found in either Bordeaux or Western Australia. A bit more acidity points to Bordeaux over Margaret River, although both would be moderate. The leaner style of this wine points to Bordeaux. Lacks the stoniness of a Graves, and the overt use of barrels or intensity of Pessac-Léognan, but has more depth than an Entre Deux Mers, pointing to a Bordeaux Blanc.

Q3. Assess the quality of wine you have used, looking at elements such as balance, depth, concentration, harmony and integration.

Good quality White Bordeaux AC as evidenced by good balance, moderate intensity of grapefruit and tropical fruit notes, medium length, medium depth, and medium finish. Harmonious and well-integrated fruit and oak. Use of oak suggests that the winemaker's ambitions to make a more complex wine was successfully realized. Good but not bracing acidity and lack of structure suggest this is a wine to drink while young to preserve the fresh fruity flavors that fade with bottle age. Moderate fruit concentration and moderate complexity would be more reasons to drink youthfully.