every second counts…
In enology, a "caudalie" is the unit of measurement that expresses the persistency of a wine's aromas on the palate.
This persistency is also called persistence, length or tenacity (the latter is less frequent).
The word caudalie stems from the Latin word Cauda (tail), which refers to the wine's lengthy tail - that makes sense!
The number of caudalies is determined after the wine has been swallowed or spat out and without circulating air in the mouth.
Note that one caudalie is equivalent to one second.
Generally speaking, a wine will have between 0 and 12 caudalies when tasted, with the average often ranging between 3 and 9 caudalies.
The more caudalies, the better the wine!
Extremely expressive wines such as Grands Crus may have as many as 15 to 20 caudalies!
Play along and count the number of caudalies when you next enjoy a glass of wine! Everyone knows that to appreciate good things, you have to take your time.
