The aromas of red and white wines from Bourgogne are revealed in succession as the wine is "worked" in the glass. It is the variousness, subtlety and elegance of these aromas that the wines of Bourgogne owe much of their reputation for quality.


The taster first registers the intensity and the nuances of odour. Their power, diversity, delicacy and stage of development depend on a number of variables including grape variety, terroir, year, degree of evolution and, in some cases, type of elevage (e.g in oak barrels or otherwise).

Sniff the wine gently in short successive inhalations. Repeat several times after swirling the wine in the glass.

1. First nose
Before swirling.

- First impression
+: pleasant, agreeable, etc.
- : not very pleasant, unpleasant, disagreeable, etc.
- Intensity
+: powerful, open, expressive nose, of good intensity, etc.
- : medium or low intensity nose, discreet, closed, etc.
- Quality
+: elegant, subtle, fine, good quality nose, etc.
- : undistinguished, rough nose, of insufficient quality, etc.
- Complexity
+: complex, rich nose, etc.
-: simple, lack of complexity, etc.

Aromatic complexity depends on the number of families of aromas the taster can identify.

2. Second nose
After swirling.

The smells become more intense and more complex on contact with the air and wider the range the better the quality of the wine

3. Retro-olfaction

Smells are perceived through the nose and aromas in the mouth. After taking a mouthful of wine, the taster adds oxygen by drawing in air while keeping the wine in his/her mouth ("grumage"). He/she can then identify and describe the aromas perceived.

Families of aromas and nuances



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