Intensity (aromatic intensity)
/ɪnˈtɛn.sə.ti/
In wine tasting, aromatic intensity /ɪnˈtɛn.sə.ti/ (often shortened to "intensity") is the perceived strength or power of a wine’s aromas on the nose, both before and after swirling. It describes how easily and strongly the aromas are detected, without judging whether those aromas are pleasant or of high quality.
Examples
- The taster notes: "Aromatic intensity: pronounced, with very strong gooseberry, passion fruit, and cut grass aromas typical of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc."
- In an exam-style tasting grid, a candidate records: "Nose: aromatic intensity medium(+); aromas of ripe lemon, peach, honeysuckle, and vanilla," indicating that the smells are clearly noticeable but not overwhelming.
- A simple Pinot Grigio is described as having light aromatic intensity because its lemon and green apple aromas are faint and require some swirling and concentration to perceive.
Etymology
The wine term "intensity" comes from the general English noun "intensity," meaning strength or degree of force, which ultimately derives from Latin "intensitas" (from "intensus," meaning stretched or strained, plus the abstract suffix "-itas"). In the 20th century, sensory science adopted "intensity" as a standard way to describe the strength of stimuli such as tastes and odors. As formal wine-tasting systems (e.g., WSET, Master of Wine, sommelier programs) developed in the mid- to late 20th century, "intensity" and the more specific phrase "aromatic intensity" were incorporated into tasting grids to give a neutral, scale-based measure of how strongly a wine’s aromas present themselves, replacing or standardizing looser phrases like "powerful nose" or "subtle perfume."