Puttony

The traditional basket in which ASZÚ grapes were gathered. The word puttony has given rise to puttonyos, the manner by which the sweetness of Tokay Aszú is measured. Tokay Aszú wines are labeled from two to six puttonyos; the more puttonyos, the sweeter the wine.

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.

“Good wine is, by nature, fleeting, mysterious, ever-changing, subject to the imperfect, unpredictable nuances of weather, place and human judgement. It changes continually, reacting to temperature and touch, food and mood, its years in the bottle and its minutes in the glass. Whether it is cheap or expensive, those who love wine live for the thrill of the surprise, the sense of discovery, the pleasure of knowing that the best wines can take you places that you never anticipated.”

—Eric Asimov
The New York Times, May 17, 2017

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