The Origin
Created in 1984 by Professor Ann C. Noble at UC Davis. She developed this tool to replace vague wine snobbery (words like "elegant") with precise, physical descriptors.
The Architecture
A tiered circle designed for clarity. You start at the center with general families (e.g., Fruity) and move outward to specific sources (e.g., Citrus > Grapefruit).
The Flavor Landscape
It identifies 12 primary families, including Floral, Spicy, Vegetal, Nutty, Caramel, and Earthy. It famously separates "Chemical" flaws from desirable aromas, making it excellent for education.