In 1999, two experiments conducted by a winegrower and
Morrot Gil (INRA Montpellier) showed that
"The taste is deceived by the view." At 54 students winemakers,
they asked to comment four wines
( blind tasting). The two white wines were identical,
except that the second was colorful. Result, the
Second, everyone noted black currant, plum and blackberry.
Next, students noted more severely a wine with a table wine label
than a great classified Bordeaux labeled, while they were
the same . This exercise style reminds us that we
are influenced by our prejudices.
In its book “Initiation à la dégustation”,,Max Léglise reminds
that we must listen to ourselves . At a tasting, he
explains that a taster can say anything and make anyone swallow
anything. As a summary, tasting ,
taste and feelings are personal.
In 1994, a report, three well known tasters
among which Philippe Faure-Brac were asked
to make a blind tasting. The first taster (
owner of a restaurant) was completely mistaken and said burgundy wine. the
second taster , Philippe Faure-Brac, described it differently and more
precisely with warm notes: "I Can not
say what it is, but for me it is a wine that has seen
lots of sun, so maybe a Rhône or
Spanish wine ". The third was an old and crafty
professor at the University of Bordeaux wines. it
described the same sensations that the best
Sommelier of the World 1992; while they were not together.
The reporter asked him his opinion
What is this area?. He replied, "It's very
warm and generous with notes of cocoa, and
spices ... I see this wine with a good hare
Royal ". The journalist insisted, he replied: "Ask
... the hare. "It was a red anjou harvested
ripeness on a very hot vintage, and the old
taster had felt the trap.
In 1995, during my two years at Nantes
restaurant l’Atlantide, we organized tastings
between sommeliers every month. When it was
our turn to invite, I had the bad idea to reveal
the wine selected for the tasting some Muscadet. the
feminine diplomacy intervened and made me understand that if it was
Muscadet , nobody would be present.
A month later, a Burgundian winemaker
accompanied us for a tasting of his
region. 30 sommeliers from the region participed. Between a Pernand
vergelesses and Meursault, a yellow carafe
opened for three hours was on the table
Nose of butter, fat and citrus with a ample and long mouth
and a great minerality. Verdict: "chablis
"said everyone and there I saw Joseph Landron,winegrower, in the Muscadet, who laughed inside him. He had recognized his wine, Muscadet Hermine
d’or 1990 ... I had my revenge ... It was wonderful , but not for long time, a week later,
an order of hermine d’or for my restaurant was necessary. My friends sommeliers
had robbed the stock. I cried all
tears of my body! Revenge is a really
dish best served cold.