The second stage in tasting is the olfactory assessment of the wine. But before going into greater detail we have to understand how an odorous perception originates. It stems from the active interaction of a large number of volatile molecules with the receptors (specific proteins) that are present in our mucous membranes. When we breathe in (direct olfaction) or when we chew our food (retronasal olfaction) these molecules reach the olfactory epithelium at the back of our nasal cavities, taking us into a world of incredible sensations that are often difficult to interpret.
The sense of smell has many distinctive features, but in particular we should like to underline the following:
- it intervenes actively in two different moments of the tasting: directly, when we sniff (or “nose”) the wine and indirectly (when we introduce a food or drink into our mouths);
- the ease with which we recognize a smell but the extreme difficulty we have in identifying it. A smell, the first time that we perceive it, is memorized in the limbic system, that is to say the irrational part of the brain (where we also find emotions, fears, etc.), whereas its semantic label is memorized – not without difficulty – in the cerebral cortex, the rational part of our brain. It is therefore difficult to link immediately and precisely an (irrational) odorous sensation with a (rational) name;
- the need to define an odorous sensation by analogy with an object that recalls it rather than with the technical name of the molecule that generated it (a smell of banana rather than that of isoamyl acetate); this calls for not always easy agreement on a definition by people who have had different kinds of experiences;
- the ephemeral and fleeting nature of olfactory sensations, which are often of brief duration and have a dynamic relationship with each other (first you perceive one, then another immediately afterwards), and not forgetting the “numbing” phenomenon that is particularly evident with smells.
During olfactory assessment (but the same goes for the retronasal stage) the following are taken into consideration:
- overall intensity: the quantity of scent perceived, both with a still glass and after it has been swirled;
- cleanness: the absence of unpleasant odorous notes, such as oxidation (baked apples, rancid, Marsala-like), vinegariness, reduction (musty, dreggy), sulfurous smells (sulfur, garlic, rotten eggs), farmaceuticals, stables/horse sweat, cork, mold, etc.
- finesse: the elegance and definition of the perfumes;
- richness: the breadth and number of the pleasant olfactory sensations;
- complexity: the presence of different aromatic notes in evolution (spiciness, undergrowth, mineral, etc.);
- the presence and intensity of single descriptors: identification, by means of analogies, of specific perceptions (fruity, floral, spicy, etc.)
- harmony: balance between the sweet/gentle notes and the fresh/penetrating ones (ranging from dull and flat - through fragrant and well-balanced - to aggressive and pungent)
- persistence of the aromas: relevant not so much during the olfactory phase as in the aftertaste/retronasal one, this is a measure of the length of time for which one’s perception of the aromas lingers.
- correspondence between the nose and palate: coherence between the olfactory sensations (perceived by the nose) with those in the mouth and on the “finish”.
Two other evaluations could be added for expert tasters:
- tipicity: adherence of the aromas to the characteristics considered typical for that particular wine (terroir, grape variety, methods of vinification and maturation, etc.)
- state of evolution: the degree of maturation and evolution of the aromas (from too young – through ready - to decrepit).
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