WineXpert pyrazine question with Nero D'Avola

[wood1954]

I opened a bottle of my Nero D'Avola last nite and it had a strong herby grassy smell. I followed all the kit instructions but i don't remember if i added the Pot.sorbate. It's only been bottled since april, but i wanted to try it, it was awful. The taste was fine but the smell is so bad i won't touch another bottle. Is there any hope for this batch? The alcohol content is about 14% and there was no fizz in the bottle so i don't think it's a MLF problem. The smell is more aromatic than the typical vegetal taste of say a cheap Cabernet. I wish i had some way of sharing the smell to get a better idea of what the problem is so i can avoid it in the future.

 

[chrisjw]

I have seen some descriptions of Nero D'Avola as having a herbal smell but it should not be dominant as you seem to describe. When did you start this kit? Wondering if it just too young at this point.

Was wondering if it could be cork taint which is more of a musty smell, and of course, would not be the case if you did not use cork.

Also, does the smell dissipate if you aerate it?

Geranium smell would indicate ML "fermentation" after adding sorbate but I have never read of this happening in a kit.

Have you tried a second bottle to see if the smell is present. You can always open it, smell it, and recork it.

It could be H2S. Some descriptions indicate that it has a vegital smell, but I think of rotten egg when I have smelled it. There are ways to detect and reduce the smell with copper. I can give you links to detection/reduction if necessary.

Hopefully its not the result of bacteria or bad water.

 

[Bartman]

Hmmm. Been making wine for a number of years now and frequenting this forum for most of that time, but have never come across the term "pyrazine" before. Had to look that one up - but now I am even smarter than I was before, and that is saying something.
Anyway, I have made Nero d'Avola in the past but never noticed a vegetal smell, or herby-grassy smell. More fruity than anything else. Knowing nothing more than your earlier post, I would guess cork taint, but that's not likely for being 3 months in the bottle, unless the corks were contaminated when you bottled it.

I would check another bottle right away and examine the corks of both. If that doesn't provide some insight, I would wait a few more months to see if it simply a 'green' wine at this point that will improve with some age.

 

[robie]

Methoxy pyrazine is what give a Sav Blanc its nice grassy taste. That's great for a Sav Blanc but not for any red.

I would think if it is MP, it would have smelled that way as soon as fermentation was completed.

I would imagine if that is what you have, it would also taste grassy. Sounds like some kind of bacterial issue. You might contact the kit manufacturer and ask them.

I would be very leery of drinking it until you know exactly what it is.

 

[wood1954]

After letting it sit open for two days most of the smell went away. I just opened another bottle and the cork is fine, smells a little better in this bottle I think i cried wolf too early. My wife tried a sip after it was open for two days and thought it was pretty good. I remember at bottling it tasted better than( 4 months ago) now. I think your right, it's just early wine going thru it's changes. As far as the pyrazine, that's a curse of reading too much and not having hands on experience. Thanks.