Being disappointed by wine flavors that vanish straight away? Your wine lacks of Caudalies.

Caudalie is the unit to measure how long the flavors of a wine linger in the mouth. One Caudalie is equivalent to a second.

The word caudalie comes from the latin caude, meaning tail. Keep that in mind: the aromas lingering in the mouth are like the tail of the wine.

As the perception of the flavors is different for everyone, the caudalies are not really precise. Yet, the measure is relevant to appreciate a wine and it gives you a hint on its quality.

How to count Caudalies?

You start counting right after drinking. In order to count it right, you shouldn’t breathe in: that could alter the perception of the flavors.

You stop counting caudalies when you stop perceiving the flavors on the palate. The aromas are not present anymore and you start to have saliva in your mouth. That is the finish-line moment you should wait for.

Be aware that caudalies are for flavors! To count caudalies, only count until the perception of flavors stops. Acidity, sweetness and bitterness are not to be taken into account.

Great wine are identifiable by both the complexity of their flavors and how long they linger in the mouth. The average for a wine is between 3 and 6 caudalies. Good quality wine has around 6 to 8 caudalies. After 10 caudalies the wines are considered as remarkably fine. Exceptional wines can even go up to 20 caudalies.

Now that you know about the caudalies you can impress your colleagues or guests in you next gathering and wine tasting.

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