Level 3 · Wine & Spirits Exam Prep
Tasting Wine (SAT)
The Systematic Approach to Tasting wine at Level 3 — detailed assessment and quality evaluation.
Topics covered
- Appearance
- Nose intensity and characteristics
- Palate structure
- Quality and readiness to drink
Quick Revision
- SAT order: Appearance → Nose → Palate → Conclusions
- Intensity: light/med(-)/med/med(+)/pronounced
- Finish: short <3s, medium 3–5s, long 5s+
- Quality levels: faulty/poor/acceptable/good/very good/outstanding
- Readiness: too young / can drink/age / drink now / past best
- Always justify your quality conclusion
Key Facts for the Exam
- Level 3 SAT requires detailed, precise vocabulary for all tasting components
- Appearance: water white/lemon/gold/amber/pink/ruby/purple/tawny — hue and colour intensity both assessed
- Nose and palate: intensity levels (light/medium(-)/medium/medium(+)/pronounced), plus full descriptor list
- Finish length: short (<3s), medium(3–5s), long (5s+) — quality significance of length
- Conclusions require: quality level (faulty/poor/acceptable/good/very good/outstanding) with justification, AND readiness (too young/can drink now but can age/drink now/past its best)
- The SAT must always be completed in order: Appearance → Nose → Palate → Conclusions
Level 3 Exam Tips
- 1.Every component must be assessed — skipping body or finish in palate section loses marks.
- 2.Justify quality: state WHY you gave the quality level — mention complexity, balance, length, intensity.
- 3.Readiness to drink requires mentioning tannin softening, development of tertiary notes, or fruit freshness remaining.
- 4.Use the exact WSET descriptors — do not invent your own terms. "Complex" must be backed by specific descriptors.
Common Exam Mistakes
- ✗Giving a quality conclusion without justification — stating "very good" with no reasons loses marks
- ✗Assessing tannin on the nose — tannin is a palate-only characteristic
- ✗Forgetting to assess colour depth AND hue separately in appearance
Frequently Asked Questions
- How detailed does a Level 3 tasting note need to be?
- At Level 3, tasting notes must be systematic, comprehensive, and use precise WSET vocabulary. Every component of the SAT must be addressed with appropriate intensity indicators. The conclusion must name a quality level and justify it with specific evidence from the tasting — mentioning complexity, balance, intensity, and finish length.
- What is the difference between "medium" and "medium(+)" in the SAT?
- The SAT uses a nuanced intensity scale: medium(-) indicates just below average; medium is average; medium(+) is above average but not pronounced. These distinctions help communicate wine character more precisely. They apply to tannin, acidity, body, and flavour intensity assessments on the palate.