Umami
If you paid attention in biology lessons at school you'll recall being taught that there are four basic tastes: sweet, salty, bitter and sour. It turns out that there are in fact at least five, and the Japanese have known this for ages.
Kalin Cellars' umami page has further thoughts and links concerning this element of taste.
The five basic tastes are sweet, sour, salt, bitter and umami (the recently discovered fifth taste found in savory foods like mushrooms, tomatoes, soy sauce, and aged cheeses and meats).
Train your palate to recognize the five different taste sensations: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami. Varying combinations of these sensations form different flavors.
Also known as an ingredient in the tastiness "Savory" factor called Umami, identified with certain amino acids and nucleotides such as sodium inosinate and sodium guanylate.
Roll the wine around in your mouth exposing it to all of your taste buds. You will only be able to detect sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami (think: meaty or savory).
we wine snobs and scribes are more apt to attach descriptors such as "forest-floor earthiness", "musky feral aromas", "baritone richness", and my recent favorite, "umami character" (you can't make this stuff up!).
 See also: Sauvignon, Red Wine, Grape, Sweet, Taste
  
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