Developed Aromas

(See also: Aromas, Petrol Aroma)

Not everyone likes the developed aromas of mature Riesling wine, many preferring the fresh fruit aromas of young wines, while fanatics can’t get enough mature Riesling. At Gut Hermannsberg we find a range of developed Riesling aromas extending from candied citrus to toasted almonds, dried herbs to beeswax, and from caramel to balsamic vinegar. Often petrol is declared to be the characteristic aroma of mature Riesling, but this is not present in all mature Rieslings by any means. This aroma is sometimes described as toast, dried citrus peel or other things. It results when the concentration of a substance called TDN (1,1,6-trimethyl-1,2-dihydronapthalene) in the wine is high, and this is often the result of drought stress and/or direct sun on the developing grapes. Because the precursor to TDN is also in every Riesling wine the intensity of this aroma increases slowly as the wine matures in the bottle. A hint of this note in a 10 or more year old wine makes it more fascinating, but if the “petrol” aroma becomes pungent, or is noticeable in a young wine, then that’s much less appealing. Some experts consider the latter a fault.