Tastes & Aromas
What happens during the aging process?
All wine changes with age. As wine ages the primary fruit flavours (those directly extracted from the grapes) are usually the first to change and then a range of secondary flavours emerge (toast, wholemeal, cedar, mushroom, earth, forest floor, honey, oiled fruit characters).
Wines that are made to be enjoyed young typically have strong characteristic primary fruit characters – our best example in New Zealand is Sauvignon Blanc- these wines from Marlborough are fruity with distinct gooseberry, passionfruit and capsicum flavours. But given time these evolve into a canned vegetative character – canned peas/asparagus. Some people like the strong fruit characters, others enjoy the aged characters.
Free Downloads
Terpenes in the Aroma of Grapes and Wine (PDF 1.4Mb)
Varietal Aroma Compounds (PDF 185Kb)
Earthy
|
Primary |
Secondary |
Grape Varieties |
|
Earthy |
Dusty |
Chardonnay |
|
Mushroom/truffle |
Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo (Barolo) |
|
|
Beetroot |
Pinot Noir |
|
|
Mouldy cork |
||
|
Mouldy |
Floral
|
Primary |
Secondary |
Grape Varieties |
|
Floral |
Orange blossum |
Chardonnay |
|
Rose |
Gewurztraminer, Riesling |
|
|
Violet |
Cabernet Franc, Mouvdere, Petit Verdot |
|
|
Geranium |
Fault due to the presence of ethoxy-hexadiene |
Fruity
|
Primary |
Secondary |
Grape Varieties |
|
Citrus |
Grapefruit |
Chardonnay |
|
Lemons and Limes |
Chardonnay, Riesling |
|
|
Berry |
Blackberry |
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah |
|
Raspberry |
Syrah, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc |
|
|
Strawberry |
Pinot Noir |
|
|
Blackcurrent (Cassis) |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
|
|
Tree Fruit |
Cherry |
Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo (Barolo) |
|
Apricot |
Viognier, Gewurztraminer |
|
|
Peach |
Chardonnay |
|
|
Apple |
Chardonnay, Riesling, Semillon |
|
|
Plum |
Merlot, Pinot Noir |
|
|
Tropical Fruit |
Pineapple |
Chardonnay |
|
Melon |
Sauvignon Blanc,Chardonnay |
|
|
Banana |
||
|
Dried Fruit |
Strawberry jam |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
|
Raisin |
Riesling |
|
|
Prune |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
|
|
Fig |
Chardonnay |
|
|
Other |
Artifical Fruit |
|
|
Methyl Anthranilate |
Herbaceous/Vegetative Characters
|
Primary |
Secondary |
Grape Varieties |
|
Fresh |
Cut grass |
Sauvignon Blanc |
|
Capsicum |
Sauvignon Blanc |
|
|
Eucalyptus |
Syrah |
|
|
Mint |
Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo |
|
|
Canned/Cooked |
Green beans |
|
|
Asparagus |
Sauvignon Blanc |
|
|
Green olive |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
|
|
Black olive |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
|
|
Artichoke |
||
|
Dried |
Hay/Straw |
|
|
Tea |
||
|
Tobacco |
Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon |
Nutty
|
Primary |
Secondary |
Grape Varieties |
|
Nutty |
Walnut |
Semillion |
|
Hazelnut |
||
|
Almond |
Spicy
|
Primary |
Secondary |
Grape Varieties |
|
Spicy |
Cloves |
Syrah |
|
Black pepper |
Syrah, Cabernet Franc |
|
|
Liquorice |
Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon |
|
|
Anise |
Woody
|
Primary |
Secondary |
Grape Varieties |
|
Resinous |
Vanilla |
Chardonnay, Syrah, |
|
Cedar |
Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah |
|
|
Oak |
Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, |
|
|
Phenolic |
Bacon |
|
|
Phenolic |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
|
|
Medicinal |
||
|
Burned |
Coffee |
Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, |
|
Burnt Toast |
Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon |
|
|
Smoky |
Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Syrah |