Thinking about the metallic taste I noticed in an old Bordeaux I tried recently - a taste I have noticed in other similar bottles - I did some Internet research and found that the taste is often attributed to Brett.
Yet the wine wasn’t strongly bretty in the animal, wet animal, barnyardy way.
Could it just have been Brett in a low concentration?
Brett can just show that way, for whatever reason, and I don’t believe it implies low levels. I’ve had such strong metallic flavor it was undrinkable.
Good point. I guess what I meant more specifically is that the level in this case wasn’t so high to ruin the wine.
Can Brett materialize itself as a metallic note? I’ve only ever had it show as barnyard or bandaids. The latter, especially in beer. I’ve found I don’t mind a touch of barnyard but the bandaid note does nothing for me.
are you on an antibiotic–some impart a metallic taste but to food and wine.
There are multiple strains/species that give different odors/aromas/perceptions. There is a bunch of info out there, especially now that all of the beer and ale makers are buying different Brett strains/species to impart flavors into their craft.
Interesting post for me as we just had a 61 Lafite the other day and there was a slight metallic taste. We were trying to figure out what that indicated, if anything.
In my experience certain foods can produce a metallic taste with certain wines. Jamon Iberico is one of them.
Unfortunately I was not dining while tasting. I am also not on antibiotics. As noted, had noted in other older Bordeauxes. Not sure if it’s reduction, Brett, something else.
In Bordeaux, I have found a metallic taste in wines that are over the hill. It has been a clear sign to me that a wine is too old.
Hi Karl,
many people never taste this flaw … it is known amongst the oenologist that metallic is a Brett infection 95% of the time … however the other causes and not exclusively
low pH conditions they can be perceived as metallic or bitter (Oelofse, 2008).
excessive nutrient called DAP can give metallic tastes… Meds as mentioned above can cause this … ready for this , getting a Tattoo will affect your palate and give you metalic, as will excessive use of alc to the point of alcoholism, too much of a vitamin and the list goes on…
the above said, unless everything tastes metallic, let’s blame the wine…so Brett comes up first on the list, low PH and excessive DAP, etc …
Shalom !!!
Salute !!!
Thanks, very helpful, I do not have any tattoos, am not an excessive alcohol user, and do not take vitamin supplements.
Operating in my usual fact-free environment, on the few occasions I have had a wine that gave that metallic taste, I have assigned the flaw to VA. I am sure I heard some other (equally fact-free) taster say that and have parroted it since.
I’ve only gotten barnyard and raw green pepper from brett in wine, but I would guess that it’s brett.
In beer, I would find a metallic taste due to brett really bizarre. For me, brett on its own, I.e. sans lacto, will add citrus and give the whole beer a lift but that’s it. Not even tart much less sour, no funk, definitely no metal.
I have in a glass in front of me right now a wine affected by brett, with a metallic edge. It is an Oakville Terraces Cabernet, purchased from some or another flash wine site, to be opened at parties. I’m the only one who noticed the brett, per se, but other bottles were drained and this was not.
P Hickner
I have seen “steel” notes on the aroma wheel in the “mineral” section, FWIW…