TASTINGS: PHILOSOPHY AND PROTOCOL
scores individually to the tasters and reproduce them in full. This format combines the advantages of an individual authority with the benefits of an established expert panel, where a range of views can be expressed. We have three blind-tasting features:
Laying Down focuses on young wines that will benefit from further maturation but may advantageously be bought early. The wines are normally from a single recently offered or released vintage. Bordeaux and Burgundy en primeur cannot be tasted blind due to the way in which barrel samples are offered by the châteaux or domaines. When the tasting may be time-sensitive, as with Bordeaux or Burgundy en primeur, results are emailed to subscribers in advance of their publication in the magazine.
Savor showcases wines that are mostly approachable with enjoyment now. The wines are from a particular region or of a particular type and are often tasted alongside more mature vintages for comparative purposes.
Goût de Terroir tests the extent to which terroir shows through in the glass, as well as what the salient features might be. Wines from two or more regions are first tasted without knowledge of the producer or region, then discussed once the identities of the wines have been revealed.
Open tasting We are firm believers in the distinct benefits of “open” tastings, in which the wine’s identity is known to tasters in advance. Here we employ a panel of three specialists who draw on their experience and expertise to discuss the wines in their proper context. The following features are in this category.
Déjà Bu reassesses finished wines in bottle. Bordeaux and Burgundy vintages that were first assessed, often as barrel samples, at the en primeur stage are retasted after time in bottle.
Per Se involves wines from different regions, villages, or vineyards, compared and contrasted in a round- table discussion by experts, who use their knowledge to put the wines in context and improve understanding. No scores are awarded, because the aim is not to pick winners. Village- by-village Burgundy tastings is an ongoing series.
Tasting panel and protocol Whatever the format, we draw on a permanent panel of respected and talented tasters, including ten Masters of Wine, a Master Sommelier, and two former World Sommelier Champions. Many of the tasters are leading authorities in their field. Their number is deliberately restricted so that they appear as frequently as possible; and in the few instances when their personal preferences are not already well known, they quickly become so. We make every effort to source the best bottles, usually requested directly from the producers, who are generous in their responses. Where a taster may have a commercial interest in any of the tasted wines, this is declared, and his or her notes and scores may be excluded, even when the tasting is blind. To reduce the risk of palate fatigue, we strictly limit the maximum number of wines tasted in a session, depending on their maturity and type. The wines are poured for the tasters, who proceed at their own pace, normally over two or three hours. All World of Fine Wine tastings use Riedel, Schott Zwiesel, or Zalto glasses, depending on the style of the wine.
THE PANEL
Tim Atkin MW Essi Avellan MW Jesús Barquín Bruno Besa Michel Bettane Stephen Brook Stephen Browett Oz Clarke Thierry Desseauve Michael Edwards Simon Field MW Michael Fridjhon Alex Hunt MW Andrew Jefford Julian Jeffs QC Hugh Johnson OBE Simon Larkin MW Andreas Larsson John Livingstone-Learmonth Sarah Marsh MW Richard Mayson Charles Metcalfe Toby Morrhall Jasper Morris MW Marcel Orford-Williams Michael Palij MW Margaret Rand Roy Richards Jancis Robinson MW OBE Anthony Rose Mark Savage MW Michael Schuster Joanna Simon Tom Stevenson Franco Ziliani
THE WORLD OF FINE WINE | ISSUE 87 | 2025 | 173
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