It has a long and persistent finish.
Persistente: pehr-see-STEN-teh. Stress on the third syllable.
Use when commenting on a wine at the end of a tasting. The length of the finish (finale or persistenza aromatica intensa, PAI) is one of the most important quality indicators.
Finale means 'finish' in wine. Lungo means long. Persistente means persistent — the flavours continue to evolve after swallowing. A hallmark of great wines.
Il finale è corto e pulito.
The finish is short and clean.
Corto — short. Clean but brief finish, typical of simpler wines.
Si sente ancora il frutto sul palato.
You can still taste the fruit on the palate.
Palato — palate. Describing what lingers.
La persistenza aromatica è straordinaria.
The aromatic persistence is extraordinary.
Formal tasting term — often abbreviated as PAI.
The AIS (Associazione Italiana Sommeliers) uses a standardised tasting vocabulary (scheda di degustazione) that all Italian sommeliers learn. The PAI (Persistenza Aromatica Intensa) measures how long flavours last after swallowing — grand wines score 10+ seconds.