I call them the aromatics, the most floral and flamboyant of all white wines. If they lived in a visual world, it would be somewhere between the saturated Peter Max-like design of the Beatle’s Yellow Submarine and the Barbie movie. In other words, glorious shocking color. What makes the aromatics so unique? All show a strong presence of monoterpenes—compounds that smell like flowers and sweet citrus. And though there are literally dozens of different terpenic compounds, the following are commonly found in fully aromatic grapes and wines.

  • Rose oxide: found in roses and rose oil. It’s responsible for Gewürztraminer’s rose and litchi notes.
  • Linalool: The highly floral and ginger-spice notes in Muscat grapes.
  • Geraniol: The scent of geraniums and lemon.
  • Nerol: The scent of roses and oranges.
  • Alpha-terpeniol: The grapey, pine-like aromas found in Torrontés.

I should also note the group of semi-aromatic white grapes including Albariño, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Gris/Grigio, and Grüner Veltliner that also show floral/terpenic qualities. But they pale in comparison to the fully aromatic quartet of Gewürztraminer, Muscat, Viognier, and Torrontés. So equipped with the basics of the terpenic universe, it’s time to fasten your seatbelt. It’s going to be a floral ride.

Gewürztraminer: Gewürztraminer is like the Pluto of aromatic grapes in that it’s a dwarf planet. Some explanation is needed. If you were to open crack the 1,200-page-plus tome, Wine Grapes, by Jancis Robinson MW and colleagues, you would be surprised to discover the entry on Gewürztraminer is not a lengthy discourse but instead a short multi-word entry that says something along the lines of “see Savignin Rosé.” Sadly, it’s true. What we know to be the most perfumed of all noble white grapes and wines is in fact a mutation of an Alsace variety you’ve never heard of. But it’s not the first time humble beginnings end up making it to the major leagues in the world of wine grapes. Take the mighty Syrah variety, whose parentage is a pair of obscure grapes called Mondeuse Blanche and Dureza. Such are the mysteries of ampelography and grape vine genetics.

Still the story about Gewürztraminer is remarkable. No other grape aside from certain forms of Muscat overdelivers in the floral/aromatic department. Add botrytis and residual sugar from late harvesting and you potentially have nectar of the gods. In fact, a bottle like the SGN (Selection de Grains Noble) from the Grand Cru Furstentum vineyard from Domaine Weinbach is more than capable of temporarily changing your life with it’s dark matter density and complexity.

Good examples of Gewürztraminer can also be found in Alto Adige with the village of Tramin considered one of the grape’s spiritual homes. However, many of the best wines are from Alsace. All are exotic and highly perfumed with a nose of ripe stone fruit, lychee, sweet citrus, pronounced floral (rose petal and jasmine), and earth-mineral. Botrytis notes are common and come in the form of honey-honeysuckle, saffron, button mushroom, and marmalade. Wood is rarely used and would never suit. On the palate, the wines tend to be full-bodied with a texture described as rich, viscous, and even oily, the latter due to the grape/wine’s naturally restrained acidity.

Viognier: is the chameleon of aromatic grapes in that it does equally well with or without oak. Many of the best wines from Condrieu in the Northern Rhône are not only oaked, but also put through malolactic fermentation and have lees contact. In other words, the holy trinity of Chardonnay/White Burgundy winemaking. The results can be extraordinary. I remember tasting Guigal’s single vineyard Condrieu called La Doriane for the first time and being astonished at its beauty, complexity, and deliciousness. The same goes for Condrieu bottlings from Yves Cuilleron, René Rostaing, or Georges Vernay.

Other than the Northern Rhône, I look to Yalumba in South Australia’s Barossa Valley for outstanding Viognier. Louisa Rose is the brilliant and talented winemaker there and the winery not only grows more Viognier than anyone else on the planet, they make three different cuvées. The Virgilius is my favorite. I should note that Rose is also the winemaker at Pewsey Vale in Eden Valley, where she makes amazing dry Rieslings that remind me of a combination of ballerinas and laser beams. Otherwise, typical aromas for Viognier include ripe stone fruit (apricot, peach, and nectarine), tropical fruit (pineapple and mango), golden apple and ripe pear, and sweet-tart citrus with the expected pronounced floral notes of honeysuckle and jasmine. As mentioned, new oak is often used as well as lees contact and malolactic. Wines from Condrieu also show earth and mineral notes. On the palate the wines generally show ripe fruit, lees, ML notes, and phenolic bitterness on the finish.

Torrontés: is indigenous to Argentina and a cross between Muscat of Alexandria and País. There are three distinct versions of the variety: Torrontés Riojano, Torrontés Sanjuanino, and Torrontés Mendocino. Many believe that the most complex wines are made from Torrontés Riojano, which is widely cultivated in the region of Salta. As expected, any quality Torrontés is shockingly floral with citrus blossoms, rose, jasmine, and geranium, matched by forward fruit including tropical (pineapple, guava, and papaya), sweet citrus (orange and Meyer lemon), and stone fruit (peach). Two markers that always identify the wine for me are cilantro and pine/Pine Sol. The palate is floral and almost soapy with ripe and forward fruit. The best wines have elevated acidity and minerality. Phenolic bitterness on the finish is a constant.

Muscat: Muscat is the Joseph’s technicolor dream coat of the aromatics quartet because there are so many variations of the grape. The two most highly regarded are Muscat of Alexandria and Muscat à Petite Grains. The former is used in all the great dry—and sweet—wines of Alsace that closely resemble Gewürztraminer, with pronounced floral and ripe stone fruit qualities with the addition of savory notes and higher acidity. Muscat à Petite Grains is known for a wide range of semi-sweet and dessert-sweet wines ranging from Moscato di Asti in Piedmont to the fortified Muscat-de-Beaumes de Venise in the Rhône.

Also worth noting are the Vin Doux Naturels made from Muscat in the Rhône, Languedoc, and Roussillon. In particular, the wines of Muscat de Frontignan, Muscat de Lunel, Muscat de Mireval, Muscat de Saint-Jean-de-Minervois, and Muscat de Rivelsaltes. Generally, the wines fall into two styles; fresher, unoaked wines (or lightly-oaked) that are bottled young, and usually fortified to 15% ABV. These wines show the hallmark pronounced floral and spice qualities the variety is known for. Other wines are fortified to 18% ABV and aged, some using a Solera-like system. These wines show more oxidative qualities including compoted fruit, sultana, prune, raisin, dried floral, dried herb, and wood if the latter is used in aging.



Learn more about tasting in my book,
Message in the Bottle: A Guide to Tasting Wine timgaiser.com/amazon