Aside from a romanticism with wine color and the happiness I get from wine in my mouth, I love wine aromatics. For me, it is probably about a third of the experience and a vital part to a great glass of wine. I don’t ever seem to feel great about a glass of wine that isn’t coming out to greet me.
I enjoy the warm, mulled fruit aromas of an aged vintage port or the rich blackberry and black pepper aromas a California Zinfandel. Wines from Margaux live up to their reputation for aromatic finesse. My reliable favorite though is Chambolle-Musigny. I can remember an elegant 1999 Drouhin Chambolle-Musigny that was a bowl of cherries, flowers and Spring air. I could just sit and breathe it all night. The aromas are what made it such a memorable experience.
What are your favorites? I would expect there might be some mentions of white wine from Spain, Italy or Champagne.
The first wines your thread title brought to my mind were Margaux, esp. Ch. Margaux itself. Amazing aromatics!
Nebbiolo is so much about aromatics. A big part of what makes Giacosa wines so special to me. Barolo often outweigh Barbarescos in the mouth, but in the nose, they really shine.
I also love wine’s aromas, and especially like those noses that conjure up/evoke a particular kind of place.
Two recent memorable ones:
La Clarine Farms Cedarville Mourvedre 2011. One whiff and I’m walking alone in a remote pine forest with scents of spicy underbrush wafting up with each step (or sniff!).
Nikohaihof Gruner Veltliner Hefeabzug. One whiff and I’m transported to a newly cut meadow in the summer sunshine.
Funky CdPs
Barolo
aged Bdx. and aged Napa Cab
Madeira, Sauternes, and Palo Cortado Sherry
petrol-laden Riesling
peppery/meaty Syrahs
most Pinot that doesn’t taste like Syrah and isn’t overoaked
Mourvedre that hasn’t been overoaked
There’s a lot on that list probably because I tend to enjoy a wine’s aroma more than anything else; I’ll often say, “I’d be happy just to smell this all night long — I don’t even need to taste it,” but I have never said, “I’d be happy just to taste this all night long — I don’t even need to smell it.”
One of my favorites that hasn’t been mentioned yet is aged Haut-Brion. I could smell it all night long. The smoke, earth, mushroom, forest floor, tobacco and leather notes really do it for me.
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