Finish: the most reliable indicator of drinking maturity

The standard

The finish-based maturity assessment reads the state of a wine after swallowing, not in the first impression. Only there does it become apparent whether the components hold together or appear one after another.

Criteria

• The length is followed in seconds, not estimated
• Tannin, acidity and fruit fade together
• No component clearly outlasts the others
• The echo repeats the attack instead of contradicting it

Distinction

Finish ≠ length: a long after-effect can also be a single protruding component. The finish-based maturity assessment therefore asks about integration, not about duration. A short, closed finish is more telling than a long, disintegrating one.