Aftertaste is the the taste that lingers in the back of your mouth after tasting or swallowing indicating complexity.

Astringent is the tactile sensation that an excess of tannin leaves on the insides of your mouth. You can detect astringency by the 'puckering' of your mouth as the tannins hit your taste buds. Tannins come from grape-skins, seeds and oak.

Body: A term used to express the weight of wine in the mouth, i.e. light, medium or heavy-bodied.

Complexity in a wine indicates many different, well-merged flavours to add interest and personality to a wine to the point of being fascinating.

Corked: A mouldy and/or wet hessian bag smell, which can come from a contaminated cork. Cork is a natural product and sometimes it contains moulds. These moulds react with some of the chemicals used during the production of the corks. When the cork comes into contact with the wine, the contaminating compound diffuses, giving it a mouldy smell and flavour. A leaking cork or a dry and crumbling cork are different problems; but the wine in such bottles is no more likely to be 'corked'.

Finish The lingering taste of a wine after it has been swallowed or spat out. High tannin content might produce a 'firm finish', or lack of flavour might yield a 'short finish'.

Roundness: A sensation that appears to fill the mouth all over.

Tannin Tannin is a vital ingredient in wines, especially red wines. It comes from the stalks, skins and pips of grapes. Tannins in a young wine produce a bitter, puckering taste on the palate. It also provides structure and balance.

Synergy: The combination of separate aromas/flavours to produce a new aroma. Although present in all wines, the effects are most obvious in blended wines.