Funny, I’ve correctly made the call of an '08 Sonoma Pinot in blind tastings, then after the reveal, with some impressed (and others having concurred before the reveal), there’s “that guy” still insisting the wine isn’t smoke tainted.
The compounds that make up the aromas of smoke taint are fairly similar to those responsible for Brett aromas. I don’t know how the concentration vs perception levels compare, but I would assume there are people more and less sensitive to smoke, just like Brett. I guess if you’re insensitive, you can enjoy a smoke tainted wine more than someone who is more sensitive.
For sure, there is still plenty we don’t know, but we’re getting better, including with the glycosides. Always progress to be made of course, and always better when we don’t have to worry about these things. Smoke spread low and thick into Green Valley this morning but fortunately cleared out again after a few hours.
That’s basically NYC to Jacksonville. When something happens in Jacksonville are you concerned in NYC? That’s a big area showing red.
The temperature 100 yards down the street from my house is often 10 degrees cooler. So many micro climates out here. It’s a folly to try to predict the winner of an extra inning game before the first batter steps up to the plate. Let’s just hope our friends ITB get through this safely and trust them to do right by us after.
Good luck to you. I wish there was something we could do to help. In Oregon we are all really, really hoping that all of you can get through this without major loss, although I already know a few people for whom that is just not a reality.
There’s quite a few potential compounds. I linked a good overview somewhere. Some are compounds common in wine, so it’s the amount in the balance of the wine that could make them stick out, or not. Ashy and bitter tastes can come from smoke taint, too. But, the tell tale smoke, as if you added liquid smoke, being part of it is what makes it pretty sure. And yes, the particular wines this happened with weren’t so badly affected to be unenjoyable to most. But, there’s a difference between not “getting” something in a wine that everyone else picks up and telling them all they’re wrong.
Doesn’t the smoky notes get worse over time? That purchaser of a full case might be a cranky consumer in a few years after drinking a few…
I can’t imagine anyone being cranky over it. The smoke was plenty apparent when I tasted it. Anyone who tasted it knew what they were getting.
Incidentally, there are no recent CT notes on this wine, though a number of people noted the smoke (though some did not!).
As far as I can tell, everything connected to smoke taint is complicated…sheesh. I believe that one day’s (or less) exposure to ‘purple’ level smoke will taint the grapes. I’m more vague about the red and yellow levels. But if I had fruit that got more than a half of a day of solid red exposure (less if it was high red level), then I’d get the fruit tested. Smelling the fruit during fermentation is also an excellent indicator of the taint.
Things that make it complicated:
- Figuring out the actual smoke level at a vineyard you’re working with. David Baum’s right that the actual smoke levels with in a colored (e.g. red/etc) area. This makes sense of course, but in practice the degree of variation can be surprising. I was walking home yesterday (not a planned/intended thing). When I got home I discovered I was in a red area…but, having become a connoisseur of smoke, there was no way the air was that smoke filled…either by the smell of smoke, or the haziness. I’m not doubting the region overall was tho.
I’m looking at the AirNow site, which has both the ‘colored background’ and ‘colored dot’ indicator…the dots represent the location of an air quality sensor…the background indicates the believed extent of a smoke level, of course. It’s worth turning on the dots…if you click on the dot, a popup will appear that will have a ‘plot’ link, which will show the hourly smoke levels for the last day…nice to have! Currently the background for where I live is yellow, yet the sensor/dots say orange. What’s the deal with that…a lack of teamwork between the AirNow sensor/dot team with the background team, or just politics 
.
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Absorption: This is complicated, but generally the grapes will get the full impact starting a couple of weeks prior to veraison until they’re picked. They’ll absorb some earlier than that, but the earlier it is the less they’ll absorb. Also, smoke taint has a time limit. After some number of hours after the smoke was formed, the smoke can’t taint the grapes (I forget the number of hours, and I can’t locate the report that discusses this…also they, the aussies, are still researching this area to confirm it and understand it better).
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Whites & rose can get smoke taint. The taint can get from the skins into the ‘inner structure’ of the grape and taint that, which in turn can taint the juice. I’m assuming that this requires more smoke exposure…tho I suppose less exposure but with more time might bring it out. Not a well defined area, but good to worry about.
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Glycosides: A wine flavor molecule can bond to a glucose forming a glycoside which renders the flavor molecule tasteless. After some period of time (months/years/decade) the two will part ways and the flavor molecule can be tasted. Side note: a similar thing can happen to anthocyanins (which gives wine its red color) and sulfur…when they bond together the anthocyanin no longer has a color…later when they split the color comes back. This can happen to Pinots esp…it’s a neat party trick to open a bottle (that has this), pour it in a decanter and watch the transitition.
Anyways, smoke tainted wine can have the taint filtered out…the glycoside taint will remain in the wine tho. So, at some point the wine will become tainted again. So drink up fast.
Yes.
A year or two ago, we were handed some rose wines to taste blind and there were a couple from the ‘fire vintage’ that I could get faint ashtray notes (but I did grow up with Nevada bars and casinos, so I may be more adept.)
I would rather acquire wine from wet and cold years than from smoke years…it varies from palate to palate, I am sure.
Also, I forgot to mention…fire fighting these fires vs in prior years: Prior year fires were caused by very low humidity & very high winds. Those two things makes it really easy to get a fire started…but it also makes it incredibly hard to fight and control the fire.
The current fires are from lightening, of course…but we don’t have the low humidity and high winds, for now anyways. So it’s plausible that the fires could be under control faster than prior years. That’d be great for everyone/everything…including possibly less taint than we’re worrying about atm.
I’m with you Anton…I really hate smoke taint and have an unfortunately good palate for it.
There is concern about wind today when the next potential storm blows in. May be more lightning, but also concern about wind (although nothing like a few years ago, gusts up to 20 mph in my area).
-Al
Thanks Marcus. I think the combination of tragedy and uncertainty is really draining - people are emotionally exhausted and harvest has barely started. We’re all just doing our best to make sure that whatever comes out of this harvest is something that the creators can be proud of and the drinkers can look forward to and enjoy. I guess that’s true every year 
That post really rings true. Up here 2007 was like that, except with what seemed like neverending rain. I hope at the end of this is work you’ll all be proud of.
I worked as the assistant winemaker at the Hirsch Vineyard in 2008, where everything but the Chardonnay was compromised by the Mendocino lightning fires (in June!). Those fires were pre-verasion. By the time harvest came around I think most winemakers had forgotten all about the fires. The Pinot Noir clusters off the sorting table tasted distinctly like chipotle. I remember the winemaker looking at scans online of what little research on smoke taint was available, mostly by way of Victoria in Australia. We tried 100% new oak on some blocks to see if that would mask it, contemplated blending in some excellent 2007 to help it, but nothing worked. A heartbreak year for sure. I hope the industry on here gets lucky and/or through it as best as possible this vintage.
Great post Eric. Lots of information.
While it’s not a piece of equipment that I could afford or want to use, I wonder whether using a centrifuge to spin white or rosé juice clear would help reduce smoke taint? (And I would use it if the other option was smoke taint)
I’ll vouch for the anthocyanin and sulfur binding together to tie up the anthocyanin(or mask it), and then releasing it after several years. We bottle some very light wines and after 8-10 years they are definitely more deeply hued.
At this point the front seems to be dying off the Sonoma/Southern Mendo coast. No lightning strikes. Very light winds in Cloverdale, Healdsburg, Forestville.
Paul
Yes, looks like most of it stayed off-shore. We did get some slightly higher winds at one point (gusts to 15 mph), but also better than anticipated.
-Al
With the settling of smoke in the valleys starting yesterday, has the theory on potential smoke damage changed?
An early look at smoke taint in Northern California from Esther Mobley: ‘Smoke taint’ on grapes may mean almost no wine to make in 2020 for one Sonoma vintner