Can your assistant win the blind tasting game?

Isabelle Lesschaeve Author

A fun wine tasting activity turned into great learnings.

Can your assistant win the blind tasting game?

This challenge was unexpected, but we all accepted it.

A few Curious Palates members had gathered online for an informal wine tasting to review the community activities and plan the future ones.

Suddenly, Corneliu posted his wine tasting note in the chat and asked us to guess the wine style, region, and price.

Not an exercise I cherish, I never really saw the point of it, but I’m always up to experimenting.

Our grey cells started to activate.

Diane called out a Cabernet Franc from the Central Coast at 20$/bottle.

I felt pressure and guessed Pinot Noir from Alsace at $ 20 a bottle.

Then I copied the tasting note into my AI assistant, asking it for help.

It turned out we were all wrong, but the AI assistant helped me understand the rationale it went through that I could later re-use. 

And you may too.

The Tasting Notes

• Color -
  clear, medium ruby, partially opaque: fingers are partially visible through the glass 'viscosity' low-medium: thin and rare legs (tears) 
  
• nose -
  'acidity' (volatile acidity?), fresh fruits: 'blackcurrants', red fruits (redcurrants, raspberries, sour cherries)' alcohol - 13% 
  
• taste - 'acidity' medium, 'astringency' medium, a little 'wood', a little 'bitter' but not disturbing, dry (without 'sweetness'); 'viscosity' low-medium 
  
• After some time (30-45 min.), the aromas turn into compote, liqueur, spices, and the taste fades quite quickly. 
  
• The short finish goes well with fried chicken with tomato and green onion salad.

What were the human guesses?

• Cabernet Franc
• Pinot Noir
• Gamay

What did my AI assistant answer?

Based on your detailed tasting note, here’s how I’d interpret the likely wine style:

🧩 Summary of Clues

Appearance:

• Clear, medium ruby, partially opaque → youthful red wine, moderate extraction.

• Low–medium viscosity → modest alcohol, little residual sugar, not a rich or fortified style.

Nose:

• Fresh blackcurrant, redcurrant, raspberry, sour cherry → cool- to moderate-climate red fruits.

• Slight volatile acidity (acetic lift) → possibly traditional fermentation, not heavily polished.

Palate:

• Medium acidity and astringency → balanced but not plush.

• 13% alcohol → moderate.

• Little wood, slightly bitter finish, dry, short length → simple to mid-level dry red.

Development:

• After 30–45 minutes: compote, liqueur, spice → some oxidation and mild evolution, but fruit-driven.

Pairing:

• Pairs with fried chicken + tomato salad → not overpowering, medium body, refreshing acidity.

🍷 Most Likely Wine Styles

This profile matches a medium-bodied, unoaked or lightly oaked, cool-climate red, such as:

1. Beaujolais-Villages or Cru Beaujolais (Gamay):

   • Medium ruby, translucent.

   • Fresh red and black fruits (raspberry, cherry, blackcurrant).

   • Medium acidity, low tannin, modest alcohol, short to medium finish.

   • Develops compote notes with air.

2. Young Pinot Noir (e.g., Bourgogne Rouge, Oregon, Germany’s Spätburgunder):

   • Similar color and body.

   • Slight bitterness and VA possible.

   • Redcurrant and cherry fruit, short finish, pairs well with poultry.

3. (Less likely) Chianti or light Sangiovese IGT:

   • Sour cherry and bitterness fit, but tannins would usually be higher.

🎯 Most Probable Answer

→ A light-to-medium-bodied red from a cool climate — likely a Beaujolais-Villages or young Pinot Noir.

If you tasted a bit more floral (violet) and juicy fruit with low tannin, go with Beaujolais (Gamay).

If more earthy, spicy, and slightly bitter with firmer structure, Pinot Noir is the better fit.

My Interpretation

Pinot Noir and Ganay made sense to me, based on the AI rationale. Cabernet Franc was unlikely for me because I didn't perceive any green notes.

But all our answers were incorrect!

The Reveal:

Versant Royal, Bordeaux Blend, 2023 (8.00 $!!)

When I informed the AI assistant that it delivered an incorrect answer, it went on to justify its rationale. 

It was a good learning experience to understand how the algorithm works in the backend.

AI rationale:

Ah, excellent — thank you for the correction, that adds valuable context.
Let’s unpack why that Bordeaux Supérieur 2023 tasted the way it did, and why it could easily be mistaken for a lighter-style Pinot or Gamay based on your notes.

🧭 Why Your Description Led Elsewhere

Your detailed observations emphasized:

• Fresh red fruits (raspberry, sour cherry, redcurrant) — not the darker cassis/plum profile we often expect from Merlot- or Cabernet-based Bordeaux.

• Low–medium viscosity, short finish, modest oak, 13% alcohol — these are hallmarks of lighter, early-drinking wines.

• Short finish and quick aromatic fade — suggests minimal extraction and young fruit.
  Those features overlap with cool-climate varieties such as Pinot Noir or Gamay, hence my initial hypothesis.

🍷 What’s Actually Happening in This Wine

Bordeaux Supérieur 2023, Versant Royal — an inexpensive cuvée (≈ $8, likely Merlot-dominant) — fits beautifully with your sensory data:

🧩 Style Summary

• Style: Light- to medium-bodied, youthful, fruit-forward red
• Region: Bordeaux Supérieur AOC
• Vintage: 2023 (a cooler, high-yield year)
• Dominant grape(s): Merlot with some Cabernet Franc / Cabernet Sauvignon
• Winemaking aim: Easy-drinking, early-release wine emphasizing freshness over structure
• Ideal consumption: Within 2–3 years of vintage, lightly chilled (15–16 °C) with simple foods like poultry, charcuterie, or tomato-based dishes

🔎 Takeaway

Your sensory read was spot on — you described exactly what the wine was giving: a lean, fruity, short-lived red.

The surprise is that not all Bordeaux are rich or oaky; entry-level Supérieurs like Versant Royal show the region’s lighter, weekday-table-wine face.

My Takeaway

As usual, my AI assistant was very supportive and encouraging. We were not that far from the "truth."

I can see how beneficial this blind tasting game could be if you're training for a blind tasting exam and want to get help from AI in identifying additional cues to help your final conclusion.

👉 Have you tried to measure up your tasting skills against your AI Assistant?

Categories: : wine style