Aromatic

A positive description, indicating that a wine has a pronounced AROMA. Some VARIETAL wines, such as muscat and gewürztraminer, are well known for being especially aromatic, often having SPICY and/or floral (see FLOWERY) scents.

What does brettanomyces smell like?

A. Horse manure

B. Rotten eggs

C. Rancid butter

D. Wet cardboard

Manure-like smells are often associated with brettanomyces, called brett for short. This genus of yeast can rob wine of its fruity aromas, replacing those with manure, horse blanket, barnyard, or sometimes Band-Aid scents. However, while many winemakers—especially in the New World—abhor even the faintest whiff of brett and will scrupulously clean their wineries to prevent brett from growing, other winemakers find a faint suggestion of brett aromas attractive as part of an otherwise complex wine.

“Knowing what minerality is reminds me of that line about pornography: I know it when I see it.”

—Ted Lemon
Owner and Winemaker
Littorai

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