Wine Bouquet

Wine bouquet is the complex of layered aromas that a wine acquires in the process of ageing and maturing. In wine terminology it is customary to distinguish the simpler aroma (primary scents coming directly from the grape variety — fruit, flowers, berries) from the bouquet proper — a more complex ensemble of aromas that forms later.

The bouquet develops in two stages. Secondary aromas arise during winemaking and ageing in oak barrels — these are notes of vanilla, spices, butter, toasted bread, smoke. The tertiary aromas — the most complex and prized — appear only after years of slow ageing in the bottle: earthy, mushroomy, leathery, tobacco, nutty tones, aromas of dried fruit, truffles, leather. It is precisely the richness and harmony of the bouquet that is one of the main indicators of the maturity and quality of a great wine. The bouquet is assessed during tasting, inhaling the aroma from the glass, often after gently swirling the wine to aerate it. The ability to discern the nuances of the bouquet is an important skill of the sommelier and connoisseur. A rich, complex bouquet is the reward for patience and a mark of a truly outstanding wine.