WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN WINE

There are five qualities a taster must assess in order to determine whether a wine is great: Varietal character, Integration, Expressiveness, Complexity and Connectedness.
Distinct Varietal Character is a good thing. Each variety of grape presents itself in a unique way. When a young wine that has been made from a single variety of grape presents its inherent grape aromas and flavors in a straightforward, clear and focused way, it is said to have varietal character. Not all varietal characteristics have mass appeal. Some wine drinkers think the assertive, tangy green herb, olive and straw character of some Sauvignon Blancs is quite nasty, especially if the aromas go one step further and take on what is often described as cat piss smell. "Cat piss" as long as its not extreme, is a description used approvingly by some wine drinkers (including me) who do like Sauvignon Blanc. There's an obvious analogy here with cheese. Just because some people cannot bear smelly cheese, is blue cheese awful? Should every cheese be remade in the image of Kraft singles, just because these have widespread appeal? I think the idea is absurd.
Integration is a state whereby the components of a wine are so impeccably interwoven that no one characteristic or component stands out. Integration means more than just balance. Integration implies that all the components have come together in harmonious fusion.
Expressiveness is the quality a wine possesses when its aromas and flavors are well-defined and clearly projected. While some wines seem muddled and diffused, others beam out their character with almost unreal clarity and focus.
Complexity is not a thing but a phenomenon. Unlike, say jamminess or acidity, you cannot go looking for the thing called complexity. Complexity is more like a force that pulls you into a wine and impels you to repeatedly return for another smell and sip because each time you do, you find something new.
Connectedness is perhaps the most elusive of these concepts and the most difficult quality to ascertain. It is the sense you get from the wine's aroma and flavor that it could not have come from just anywhere but rather is the embodiment of a single piece of earth. Connectedness is the bond between a wine and the plot of land it was born in.