The word ' taste' signifies more than just one of our five senses. It also describes the ability to discern what is beautiful and to enjoy it. Taste, in effect, becomes part of the intellect.

           Pierre Poupon

• If tasting and older wine with deposit, handle the bottle carefully before opening and leave upright for a few hours.
• Decant a very young wine to give oxygen. This will soften it and release the aromas.
• Carefully decant an older wine to remove any deposit.
• Ideally use a clear, stemmed, tulip-shaped glass as the shape helps free the aroma.
• Fill the glass just one third full to allow you to swirl the wine and appreciate the nose.
• Remember, wines from lighter vintages will mature more quickly but the lifespan of a wine depends on vintage and vinification.

• Médoc and Graves/Pessac Léognan wines are based on the Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet skins are deeply coloured and high in tannins so, when young, the wines have a deep mulberry-purple colour, distinctive aromas of blackcurrant, cedar and cigar box and a dry tannic finish. If the wines have been aged in barrels there will be added tannins from the barrels and the vanilla-coffee-cocoa aromas of new oak.
• Saint-Émilion, Pomerol and Fronsac wines are dominated by Merlot and Cabernet Franc. If you detect a rich, sweet, fruitcake plumpness with spice, the chances are you have an almost wholly Merlot wine in the glass. a Saint-Émilion for example. The wines here are deep in colour, when young but although firm in structure, they have a distinctive velvety texture in the mouth. Pomerol wines have the same richness.
• The Côte red vary in style because they are produced across the region. A good Côtes will have a bright, deep claret-red colour and a clean, appealing nose of red fruit with spicy overtones. Unusually, for wines where more Merlot is generally used than Cabernet, Côtes wines may be quite tannic, which means they often mature will.
• The Entre-deux-Mers and Bordeaux dry whites will have a very pale yellow colour when young which will deepen to straw yellow with age. Pessac-Léognan whites and other whites vinified in oak will seem richer in colour even when young. In young wines or those made mostly from Sauvignon Blanc, look for a fresh, lively nose with aromas of citrus fruits and flowers and mouth-watering acidity. With age, the top dry whites become deep and rich, with the firm structure of Sauvignon and the soft lanolin smoothness of the Sémillon.
• Bordeaux regional reds will vary according to where they were produced, the grape mix, vinification methods and the weather conditions. Probably the best time to get the most from regional Bordeaux red is when it is still young, firm and fruity. A bright colour, a clean, deep, appealing red fruit nose (with hints of vanilla and spice if the wines have been aged in oak) and the classic balance of alcohol, acidity and tannin are the hallmarks.
• Sweet wines, which are Sémillon based, will be golden in colour and this will get much deeper with age. Botrytis Cinerea (Noble Rot) affected wines will have honeyed, sometimes floral and fruity aromas overlying the lusciousness of overripe grapes. You may also detect the sweet vanilla of new oak as many wines are vinified in barrels.