Yet another head-scratching wine descriptor

[KatieLoeb]

I've often found that syrah has a smell of a big honking pile of hamburger meat, or even occasionally of raw bacon. That would certainly cover the "bloody" part.

I think the phrase leaves a bit to be desired strung together that way. But I also think I get what he meant.

[Rebel Rose]

I always look for bacon or roast beef in a syrah, and am disappointed if I do not find it. But raw blood and iron aromas are generally a turn off for me . . . if that coppery/iron thing is very evident it's a tipoff that the wine may have been oxidized before bottling and was tarted up with copper.

Copper sulfate (see this SF Gate article on wine additives) is used to remove H2S (rotten egg) from wines, but is also used to "brighten" oxidized wines with higher volatile acidity and any kind of funky aroma. Many wineries will simply stir the wine with copper rods or pour the wine over copper rods or grates, but some wineries simply use a few drops of liquid copper sulfate.

[JohnL]

"...brooding syrah with bloody iron and grilled meat aromas flecked with black cherry and blueberry highlights with toasty boysenberry and vanilla flavors. Exceptionally balanced....."

Again, I think wine can be such an incredibly complex and evocative substance.

we are dealing with smell, and taste and our experiences.

Actually most of the wine's complexity comes via aromas as we can taste only salty, sweet etc (ok there's umami too). We can identify literally hundreds/ thousands of aromas!

There are also flavors and aromas that "evoke" sensory memories" (Florida Jim has a current tasting note that describes a "sensation" evoked by a wine--fresh water" etc.

Pulling out one element of a tasters notes removes any context. ( see above).

The "bloody iron" note taken in context renders a more complete (and appealing) flavor profile for the wine in question.

The aroma of "bloody iron" is quite different than the "taste" of it on the palate.

(I would argue it renders the wine more palatable).

Just as that notes of "shit" and "undergrowth (decaying leaves etc) one sees applied to Burgundies are aromas more than actual tastes (on the palate) one hopes ( the taste of decay on the palate would indicate a bad or foul wine).

Perhaps this is what is so beguiling about wine: "notes of decay on the nose while the wine can have an explosion of fruit (cherries etc on the palate).

It is this confluence of aromas and flavors (nose and taste) combined with evoked experiences that makes wine the most complex beveridge imaginable!

I thank Brad for the original post because it really made me think about tasting and tasting notes.

This was quite an interesting and informative thread.

Edited August 22, 2005 by JohnL (log)

[Brad Ballinger]

It seems several people had a similar question about "bloody iron." Below is a link to today's Star Tribune article from the writer who used the term (among others) to describe the Kuleto Syrah. Registration may be required, but it is free.

Article

[Adam Balic]

Ah yes, the aroma of fer sanglant is very distictive and evocative of slowly rusting 19th century farm machinery and baked red earth after a summer shower. Especially common in old vine cinsault wines.

"Metallic" isn't the right word (which is more like the sensation of putting a nickle spoon in your mouth), "ferric" might be better, but I bet a sub-editor would change it to "bloody iron".