Licorice or anise (yes, they are different yet many folks seem to interchange the two) is certainly an interesting aromatic and flavor descriptor, and it certainly can divide folks. There are many who dislike actual black licorice, so if they catch even a slight scent in a wine, they will dislike the wine, regardless of what other aromatics and flavors the wine may contain.
There are others who either don’t normally eat licorice (or didn’t growing up) and therefore don’t seem to pick it up as easily - no surprise if you don’t have a ‘benchmark’ to start from.
I have not found licorice notes to be a sign of overripe fruit at all. I have found it in SuperTuscans, in Barolos, in Syrahs, and certainly in grenaches and grenache blends. I can’t really tell you where it comes from specifically - all I know is that I tend to dig it in wines, as long as it’s not the ONLY aroma I smell or flavor I taste . . .
I don’t have the experience of following wines with this characteristic over time, but the Mount Eden Vyd. examples I referred to are from the '60s to early '90s. (I believe vineyard management changes since then have either minimized or eliminated it there.) But, since it’s prominent in those older wines, I’m guessing it’s a stable compound that becomes relatively more prominent as other things fade.
I would just add that it’s certainly something you can pick up in older Barolo. It can be hard to say if one element like this fades or intensifies, since other things change around it.
Can’t stand licorice the black candy, but I love a hint of it in wine. And it doesn’t seem to be entirely associated with a particular variety either - comes in Syrah, Cabs, Zins, Nebbiolo and many other grapes.
I’m not sure it’s always the same flavor component though, and the flavor that verges towards anise, which I actually prefer, seems more often to be more pronounced when it occurs and I suspect more related to the barrels, as it’s often associated with cloves and vanilla as well. But then my wife picks up licorice where I don’t, so I’m wondering if we’re all talking about the same thing.
Why don’t you try to chew some licorice root then? Similar, yes, identical no.
Btw, for those who wish experience other similar flavors there is neem toothpaste, or simply neem bark.
Thank you Robert. I suspected this might be the case, but personally I don’t care to chew any of these, nor do I intend to learn anything about the subtle differences between them.
Same here. And I also love Sambuca, Strega, Absinthe, and the various (and many) other liquors that contain this flavor profile. I’ve always wondered why the difference.
Interesting. I was referencing my herb book* to note the similarities and ranges of the aromatic compounds in licorice and anise. Guess what? Licorice contains no anethole. Licorice root is “the source of the sweetener glycyrrhizin, which is about 50 to 150 times sweeter than cane sugar. many people confuse the root, however, with the commercial candy; they insist that anise, fennel, and French tarragon smell like licorice, which is technically incorrect. Licorice roots have no significant flavor” beyond a pea-like odor, which is “probably due to 4 ppm 2.6-dimethylpyrazine, 2 ppm 2-methylpyrazine, and other alkylpyrazines.” So, there you have your explanation why you might like anise flavor, but not licorice candy.
\
“The Encyclopedia of Herbs - A Comprehensive Reference to Herbs of Flavor and Fragrance” by Arthur O. Tucker and Thomas Debaggio
Liquorice and its associated food types such as aniseed and fennel are characters that I find most appealing in some dry whites as well. I often see these notes in good white Burgundy and Clare Valley dry Riesling from around Polish Hill River.
I share this appreciation. There are lots of different food/spice aromas I love, and if I catch a glimpse of them in my wine fruit I tend to simply appreciate them for the added complexity in the aroma.
In searching my TN’s, I see that I perceived a note of Australian black licorice on the Nose of your 2006 Grenache Blanc back when I drank a bottle in early 2011. I’ve always really enjoyed that wine.
Me too; in whites, it’s something that I usually perceive on the Nose, but not the Palate. In searching my TN’s for “licorice”, “anise”, and “fennel”, and then sorting by wine “type,” I see I’ve mentioned at least one of those descriptors in the following white wines:
2009 Château Bouscassé (Alain Brumont) - Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh Sec Les Jardins de Bouscassé
2010 Domaine François Cotat (Paul & François) - Sancerre Les Culs de Beaujeu
NV Equipo Navazos - Jerez-Xérès-Sherry La Bota de Manzanilla “Navazos” Nº 22
2008 Thacher Winery - Viognier Hastings Ranch
White
2005 Chanson Père et Fils - Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru Les Caradeux
2006 Tercero - Grenache Blanc Camp 4 vineyard
2007 Forman - Chardonnay
– for all instances of “licorice,” I did make sure I was referencing black licorice, rather than a red-fruit-flavored licorice.
I have no idea which is correct, but contrary to your herb book, many sources say that licorice root does contain anethole.
Examples:
“The flavor of liquorice comes mainly from a sweet-tasting compound called anethole (“trans”-1-methoxy-4-(prop-1-enyl)benzene), an aromatic, unsaturated ether compound also found in anise, fennel, and several other herbs. Much of the sweetness in liquorice comes from glycyrrhizin, a compound sweeter than sugar.” Liquorice - Wikipedia
“Licorice Root contains a number of healthy compounds such as flavonoids, volatile oils, plant sterols, coumarins, glycosides, asparagine, chalcones, glycyrrhizic acid and anethole. Licorice Root has a peculiar sweet flavour with a faint hint of anise flavour and is sweeter than sugar (sucrose).” Health Benefits of Licorice Root
“American, Chinese, and European varieties of the licorice plant are all slightly different but have many similarities. Each variety is a legume. Each produces a compound in its roots called anethole, which gives black licorice its distinctive flavor. Each also produces a compound called glycyrrhizin, a substance that is 30 to 50 times sweeter than sugar.” http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2011/08/29/whats_the_difference_between_red_and_black_licorice/
![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}