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Aromatic & Flavor Elements of Pinot Noir

Barbara Drady of Affairs of the Vine has compiled a comprehensive list of the aromatic elements of Pinot Noir which she has kindly allowed me to reproduce here. This is a very handy reference list that you can use to improve your tasting acumen. The list is not all-inclusive. I have revised it slightly.

Aromatic & Flavor Elements of Pinot Noir

Cherry, Black Cherry, Wild Cherry, Dried Cherry

Raspberry, Raspberry Jam

Strawberry, Wild Strawberry, Strawberry Jam

Blackberry, Blackberry Jam

Pomegranate

Rhubarb

Cranberry

Current, raisin

Plum

Tangerine, Grapefruit, Orange Peel

Rose Petals, Violets

Roasted Tomato

Earth, Wet Leaves, Forest Floor, Barnyard, Mushroom

Meat, Game, Animale, Sauvage

Tea, Coffee

Licorice

Mint

Clove

Lavender

Herbs, Herbs de Provence

Cinnamon

Pine Pitch, Cedar, Oak

Vanilla

Peppermint

Smoke

Cola

Chocolate

Quinine

Oak-Derived Aromas & Flavors

Earthy: ash, mushroom, shoe box, wet cardboard, musty, leather

Herbaceous: weedy, dill, mown hay, menthol, grass, tobacco

Woody: cedar, sawdust, pencil shavings, sappy, green, pine, tar, resin

Astringent: harsh, chewy, bitter, angular, tannic, drying

Spicy: clove, cinnamon, coconut, vanilla

Toast-Derived Aromas & Flavors

Sweet: brown sugar, bourbon, cotton candy, chocolate, maple syrup, butterscotch, hot fudge, caramel, molasses, honey, toffee, soy

Creamy: vanilla, cream soda, marshmallow, lactic, butter

Yeasty: popcorn, baked bread, bread stick, cookie dough

Nutty: hazelnut, walnut, almond, peanut butter, coconut

Roasted: cedar, graham cracker, toasted bread, coffee, mocha, cereal

Smoky: barbecue, grilled meats, bacon, sweet smoke, burnt sugar

Spicy: nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, licorice, anise

Off-Odors

Sulfur dioxide

Rotten egg (hydrogen sulfide)

Mercaptan (sulfur-containing cpd - onion or garlic)

Brettanomyces/Dekkara (horsy, stables, sweaty saddle, )

Wet newspaper, wet cardboard (corky)

Burnt

Perdicoccus (metallic)

Wet dog

Pickle/sauerkraut

Rubbery

Diacetyl (a ketone-buttery or cheesy)

Acetalydehyde (oxidized smell, sherry)

Ethyl Acetate (acetic acid + ethanol - fruity)

Acetic acid (vinegar)


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