red wine smells like olives

[pam claughton]

This is first for me. I love wine, but my knowledge of it is very basic. I opened a bottle of Westport winery's Reserve Cabernet/Merlot blend, poured a glass, then leaned in for an appreciative sniff. Olives. A very distinct smell, and one I've never encountered in wine. I didn't love the taste either. It wasn't vinegar, but it wasn't a wine that I liked. I then saw that it is a 1995 bottle. Do reds sometimes taste/smell of olives? Or was this wine probably on it's way out?

Any thoughts?

Thanks,

Pam

[Rebel Rose]

Pam, red wines from cooler climates often have a whiff of olive or other herbaceous types of aromas. Olive can be attractive if it is subtle and balanced with richer berry flavors. As wines age, flavors generally become integrated, and aromas more complex and intriguing, but it's always difficult to predict how gracefully a wine will age. Perhaps the berry-like aromas have faded and the olive has simply not. Did you have a chance to try the same wine when it was younger?

[Brad Ballinger]

Olives are a common aroma and flavor component of many red wines -- most commonly red wines from the Rhone and Provence, but those areas don't have the corner of the market on olive character by any means.

There is nothing "wrong" with olives (green or black) in wine. But what you may have learned is that wines that have olives as part of their aroma or flavor profile may not be your thing.

[pam claughton]

Thank you, both of you. I do love olives, but something about this pungent smell seemed odd. It's good to know that good wines can have this quality though.

Pam

[chefrodrigo]

The first time I had a Calon Segur, Bordeaux, the first thing i thought was black olives. It was very pronounced on the nose and the palate. I loved it personally but I also love olives.

rodney

[chefzadi]

Thank you, both of you. I do love olives, but something about this pungent smell seemed odd.  It's good to know that good wines can have this quality though.

Pam

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Wines, unlike cheese, should not have a pronounced pungent aroma, not even of olives. If it seems "odd" to you don't drink it. It sounds like the wine was corked.

[Brad Ballinger]

Wines, unlike cheese, should not have a pronounced pungent aroma, not even of olives.  If it seems "odd" to you don't drink it. It sounds like the wine was corked.

←

Agreed, if the wines aroma was indeed "pungent," and not just "pronounced." There are countless wines I've had where there has been a dominant aroma -- that either remains or eventually subsides a little allowing others to be noticed.

As far as the wine being corked, the odor associated with that is almost always musty wet wood, wet cardboard, we newspapers; not olives.

[chefzadi]

Wines, unlike cheese, should not have a pronounced pungent aroma, not even of olives.  If it seems "odd" to you don't drink it. It sounds like the wine was corked.

←

Agreed, if the wines aroma was indeed "pungent," and not just "pronounced." There are countless wines I've had where there has been a dominant aroma -- that either remains or eventually subsides a little allowing others to be noticed.

As far as the wine being corked, the odor associated with that is almost always musty wet wood, wet cardboard, we newspapers; not olives.

←

Yes corked wine would be definate, unavoidably musty in order.

The posters discription of the wine though pointed to more than simply bad wine. Fresh olives can have an earthy aroma. So I just took a leap considering the age of the wine. Not all wines benefit from this amount of aging. However I am not familiar with the specific wine mentioned either.

So there ya go.