What is the syrah stink

Lately I’ve been drinking a lot of syrah and syrah blends. Languedoc, northern rhone, and California. I’ve noticed that the languedoc and some of the Rhones have a distinctive dirty smell/taste. I am not great at pinpointing favors so that’s my best description. At first I though is was Brett, but I can’t imagine that every languedoc syrah has unless I am just extraordinarily sensitive. What am I sensing here?

Dirty stemware?

Without knowing a few examples, it might be tough to pinpoint. What are a few wines that brank the stank?

Whole cluster is my 1st guess.

If you want to generalize across the board, I would say that the notes I find most common are the iron/blood/meat thing as well as black olive and black/white pepper. That’s what sets off stinky for me. Of course, some could be bretty, and would reductive notes possibly cause it as well? Or one might argue terroir…

My first thought was a reductive thing, since whole cluster does not smell dirty … to me at least. But since it goes to flavors too … hmmm. Bring a bottle over and we’ll figure it out

Jason

I think I know what you mean, but it is not intrinsic to Syrah. Lots of Syrahs, new world in particular, have none of it.
That’s assuming that you are talking about the meaty, olive scents that Brent C. referred to above, and not sulfur compounds from a reductive regime. You probably would have said that it usually blows off if you meant the reductive odors.
There must be some chemical compound(s) that can be identified, much like the green pepper of unripe Cabs can be positively identified as pyrazines. Any winemaker/chemists out there to weigh in?

P Hickner

Too much ‘terroir’, or just dirty winemaking practice. (Is there a difference?) I’m just sayin’

That’s kinda what I thought at first but I’ve noticed it in almost every bottle.

Assuming it is not those characteristic Syrah notes of meat, pepper and chocolate cake, I’m wondering if it is reduction. A lot of Syrahs’s from hot, dry climates can get reduction and in fact, a lot of the most reputed wines of the Languedoc have hints of it. It is a facet of terroir becuase of the naturally low nitrate levels in the grapes but it doesn’t have to be overbearing.

On the other hand, this may just be a new smell to you and you may grow to like it.