Primary Aromas

Primary aromas, also called varietal aromas, come directly from the grape.

Primary aromas are present in the grape or in the grape skin, and the intensity is depending on the grape variety, the terroir and the winemaking methods.

Fruit Notes

Fruit notes are the most straightforward aromas that come directly from the grapes.

Fruit notes can include a wide range of fruits, such as apples, berries, citrus, stone fruits, and tropical fruits.

Most wine tasting experts divide these into:

Green Fruit

Stone Fruit

Tropical Fruit

Red Fruit

Black Fruit

Dried Fruit

Floral Notes

Floral notes are derived from the grape. They can include scents of roses, violets, elderflowers, acacia, honeysucle, and much more.

White Grapes

Black Grapes

Herbal and Herbaceous Notes

Depending on the grape variety, primary aromas can also include fresh herbs like mint, thyme, or more vegetal notes like green bell pepper (common in Cabernet Sauvignon).

Herbal

Herbaceous

Spice Notes

Some grape produce primary aromas of spices (like black pepper in Syrah) or liquorice.

Other Notes

Some grape varieties produce primary aromas of flint, and wet stones.

Secondary Aromas

Secondary aromas origin from fermentation and winemaking techniques.

Yeast and Fermentation (lees, autolysis)

These aromas develop during the fermentation process and can include smells of bread, biscuit, toast, or beer-like aromas (from yeast).

Malolactic Conversion

Malolactic Conversion, also called Malolactic Fermentation or Second Fermentation, can introduce buttery or creamy aromas into wine.

These aromas are often associated with quality Chardonnays.

Oak Influence

Aging in oak barrels can impart secondary aromas such as vanilla, nut and spices.

French oak adds delicate aromas, subtle vanilla and spicy notes to the wine.

American oak adds roasted aromas, strong vanilla, and stronger spice notes to the wine.

Other Winemaking Techniques

Techniques like batonnage (stirring the lees) or carbonic maceration can introduce additional complex aromas like nuts, caramel, banan or even bubblegum.

Nuts

Caramel

Banana

Tertiary Aromas

Tertiary aromas origins from bottle aging or extended barrel aging.

Wines capable of ageing will lose their primary aroma and develop new aromas of maturation.

Oxidative Aging

With exposure to air, wines develop complex aromas such as nuts (hazelnut, almond) and dried fruits (figs, prunes in red wine, honey and dried fruit in white wine).

Hazelnut

Fig

Prunes

Almond

Dried Fruit

Honey

Reductive Aging

In the absence of air, wines can develop earthy, mushroom, forest floor, leather, tobacco, and truffle aromas.

Musroom

Leather

Truffle

Tobacco

Aged Fruit and Spice Notes

Over time, primary and secondary aromas evolve and combine to create more subdued, harmonious scents, such as dried apricot, stewed fruit, raisin, or complex spice blends.

Dried Apricot

Other Aged Characteristics

Tertiary aromas can include hints of coffee, chocolate, savory elements like soy sauce or bouillon, and even medicinal or balsamic notes.

Coffe

Chocolate

Soy Sauce