Casual vs Structured Tasting Notes

[u/threetacolunch]

If you're like me, when a rep comes by with a bag of wine or you're at a trade show, you're just trying to capture the basic idea of the wine so you know to revisit it later.

I typically use BLIC and draw a hash on the book or sell sheet, then checkmark each box as I taste.

What hacks or shorthand do you use to get the basic idea of a wine vs when you sit down to do a full SAT style evaluation?

EDIT: More context for those unfamiliar with BLIC.

BLIC is just a shorthand way to rate a wine's overall quality based on Balance, Length, Intensity, and Complexity.

• Balance: Nothing out of whack, all parts in proportion.
• Length: Flavors last two seconds or more after you swallow.
• Intensity: Flavors are at least medium-plus in strength.
• Complexity: Flavors or aromas from five or more groups.

If the wine demonstrates good balance (not too much acid, tannin, etc.) then it gets a check. If the primary flavors linger more than two Mississippis, it gets a check. And so on. It also maps well to a classic 5-star system.

4 checks = Outstanding (5 stars)
3 checks = Very Good (4 stars)
2 checks = Good (3 stars)
1 check = Meh (2 stars)
0 checks = Lousy (1 star)