Volcanic Wine Awards | The Jancis Robinson Story | Mission Blind Tasting

Blind tasting, part 4 – taste

• 1 min read
Discussion
Sam tasting wine for MBT part 4

How to evaluate everything you feel and taste in a sip of wine.

Last week’s MBT article focused on evaluating a wine’s ‘nose’ – ie the presence and intensity of aromas. Today we’ll dig into how to evaluate the palate of a wine – ie its flavours and textures – and how elements such as sweetness, tannins, acidity, alcohol, body, intensity of flavours and finish can help determine the identity of a wine.

If you’ve taken my wine suggestions from Part 1 – essential tools, go ahead and pour your young Vinho Verde, young Beaujolais Nouveau or Villages, young(ish)...

Become a member or log in to continue reading
Member
$135
/year
Save over 15% annually
Ideal for wine enthusiasts
  • Access 294,675 wine reviews & 16,076 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
Inner Circle
$249
/year
 
Ideal for collectors
  • Access 294,675 wine reviews & 16,076 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
Professional
$299
/year
For individual wine professionals
  • Access 294,675 wine reviews & 16,076 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
  • Commercial use of up to 25 wine reviews & scores for marketing
Business
$399
/year
For companies in the wine trade
  • Access 294,675 wine reviews & 16,076 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
  • Commercial use of up to 250 wine reviews & scores for marketing
Pay with
Visa logo Mastercard logo American Express logo Logo for more payment options

Discuss this article

Members can discuss and create threads. Not a member? Join today.

Join our newsletter

Get the latest from Jancis and her team of leading wine experts.

By subscribing you agree with our Privacy Policy and provide consent to receive updates from our company.

More Mission Blind Tasting

MBT Riesling image
Mission Blind Tasting How to identify this characterful variety in its various guises, from Germany and elsewhere. Today’s lesson is devoted to one...
Samantha Cole-Johnson tasting a lineup of Pinot Gris wines
Mission Blind Tasting Same grape, different languages. Get to know its markers in its strongholds of Alsace, Italy, Oregon and New Zealand. For...
Samantha Cole-Johnson with 5 bottles of Burgundian Chardonnay
Mission Blind Tasting Parsing the wines from the world’s most archetypal Chardonnay appellations – just by paying attention to what’s in your glass...
blind tasting Chardonnays of the world
Mission Blind Tasting A Chardonnay masterclass, with everything you need to know to distinguish one country’s styles from another’s. At last tally, Chardonnay...

More from JancisRobinson.com

Ungrafted monastrell vines in Jumilla
Free for all 4 June 2026 In advance of the 2026 Old Vine Conference on June 8, we’re republishing this overview of our...
Acered vineyard
Tasting articles In celebration of Aragón’s entry into the upcoming World Atlas of Wine , Ferran explores the wines of Zaragoza. Above...
Alexandre Delétraz's (Cave des Amandiers) vineyards in Valais @ Leif Carlsson
Tasting articles Red, white, young, old – there’s no shortage of diversity or deliciousness available in Swiss wines. You just need to...
Mt Ararat overlooking vineyards
Tasting articles Reasons to drink more Riesling; best buys; and far-flung finds – highlights from a month of tastings. Above, Mount Ararat...
Dar Sinclair, Tangier
Don't quote me Foreign parts feature heavily this month, including the villa above overlooking Tangier. But that’s far from all. I hope you...
Sally Abé of Teal
Nick on restaurants An exciting new addition to the East London restaurant scene. Above, Sally Abé. Everything is on the small side at...
Institute of Masters of Wine logo
Free for all As our Sam Cole-Johnson and 216 others prepare to take the MW exams next week, we look back at the...
The Bull interior
Free for all Great wine and pie in the Shires. Charlbury is pretty much the first stony outcrop of the Cotswolds that you...
Wine inspiration delivered directly to your inbox, weekly
Our weekly newsletter is free for all
By subscribing you're confirming that you agree with our Terms and Conditions.