aromas & flavours

ASPARAGUS
Asperge (F); Spargel (G) Asparago (I) Espárrago (S)
Exaggerated pyrazine character often found in Sauvignon Blanc, asparagus will only develop with age. In a wine without any pyrazine character, it will be dimethyl disulphide.
2-Methoxy-3-isobutylpyrazine, dimethyl disulphide

BEETROOT
Betterave (F) Rote Beete (G) and Barbabietola (I) Remolacha (S)
Earthy-vegetal character, usually a fault, with Pinot Noir the most likely recipient and geosmin (found in beetroot) the most probable culprit.
Geosmin, 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 3- isobutyl-2-methoxypyrazine, 2-ethyl-2,4-dimethylthiazole

BELL PEPPER
Poivron (F) Paprikaschote (G) Peperone (I) Pimiento (S) AKA green pepper, sweet pepper, pimento and capsicum, this is the classic pyrazine derived character of Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc. Also an indicator of canopy vigour in Cabernet Sauvignon. An earthy bell pepper aroma may seem like TCA, but can be a specific methoxypyrazine (2-methoxy-3-isopropylpyrazine).
2-Methoxy-3-isobutylpyrazine

BROADBEAN
Fève (F) Bohne (G) Fava (I) Haba (S)
A typical Sauvignon Blanc aroma that fall between bell pepper and fresh green pea. Also found in Cabernet Sauvignon.
2-Methoxy-3-isobutylpyrazine

CABBAGE
Chou (F) Kohl (G) Cavolo (I) Col (S)
Cabbage is a mercaptan fault often found on unfiltered wines that have not been too hygienically made. Cooked cabbage is probably methional, which is responsible for most reductive faults, especially in white wines.
Methional, methionol, methanethiol, DES (dimethyl sulphide)

CAPSICUM
See BELL PEPPER

CAULIFLOWER
Chou-fleur (F) Blumenkohl (G) Cavolfiore (I) Coliflor (S)
A stronger smelling mercaptan fault than cabbage. The cooked cauliflower odour comes from acrolein and is the result of bacterial spoilage.
Acrolein, 2-methylthio-ethanol

CELERY
Céleri (F) Sellerie (G) Sedano (I) Apio (S)
A curiosity whenever it is found.
3-Butylidene

CORN-ON-THE-COB
épi de maïs (F) Maiskolben (G) Pannocchia di granturco (I) Mazorca de maíz (S)
A corn-on-the-cob verging on asparagus character is a fixed-sulphur fault.
DMS (dimethylsulphide)

CUCUMBER
Concombre (F) Gurke (G) Cetriolo (I) Pepino (S)
Less ripe version of melon.
Trans-2-nonenal

GARLIC
Ail (F) Knoblauch (G) Aglio (I) Ajo (S)
This aroma can develop from an exaggerated blackcurrant aroma that is also a fixed-sulphur or mercaptan fault.
DES (diethylsulphide), DEDS (diethyl-disulphide), ethanethiol, thiophene

GARLIC TASTE
Ailliacé (F) Knoblauchge-schmack (G) Sapore di aglio (I) Con sabor a ajo (S)
When taste as well as or rather than aroma, the fault is definitely mercaptan.
4-methylthiobutan-1-ol

GREEN PEPPER
See BELL PEPPER

MUSHROOM
Champignon (F) Champignon (G) Funghi (I) Champiñón (S)
Should the mushroom aroma be fresh and savoury in a mature Champagne, it is an acceptable ageing characteristic, but if it is dry and musty, then it will be TCA. In a botrytised wine, a mushroom character may be due to unusually high level of 3-octenol.
TCA (2,4,6-trichloroanisole), 3-octenol

ONION
Oignon (F) Zwiebel (G) Cipolla (I) s-ethylacetothioate Cebolla (S) A fixed-sulphur or mercaptan fault. Various possibilities, but DMDS if intense and if burnt.
DES (diethylsulphide), DMDS (dimethyldisulphide), ethanethiol, s-ethylacetothioate

PEA
Petit pois (F) Erbse (G) Piselli (I) Guisante (S)
The fresh, green pea aroma found in Sauvignon Blanc is closer to broadbean than it is to tinned peas or asparagus, but it will go that way with bottle-age.
2-Methoxy-3-isobutylpyrazine

POTATO
Pomme de terre (F) Kartoffel (G) Patate (I) Patata (S)
The aroma and/or taste of potato peelings is usually blamed incorrectly on TCA, but is usually geosmin (which is responsible for the earthy taste of beetroot) or a pyrazine. Cooked potato is a fixed-sulphur fault.
Geosmin, 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, methional 3-methyl-1-propanol

SAUERKRAUT
Choucroute (F) Sauerkraut (G) Crauti (I) Chucrut (S)
Lactic smell from excessive malolactic.
Lactic acid

SWEET PEPPER
See BELL PEPPER

TRUFFLE
Truffe (F) Tartufo (I) Trüffel (G) Trufa (S)
Is it part of the complexity of a fine wine or a sulphur fault?
Dimethyl sulphide

VEGETAL
Végétal (F) Vegetal (G) Vegetale (I) Vegetal (S)
Although this doesn't sound very attractive in a wine, a vegetal character can be either positive or negative.
Trans-2-hexenol