sort of depends…I think for the most part it takes away from the wine/Take a cleaner version 99% of the time…but with the right food, atmosphere i’m Ok with it.
I’m pretty tolerant, as long as the wine has some savory character. If the wine is all sweet fruit and brett, I dislike it. My tolerance for oak is similar.
My feelings about brett are kind of like how I view salt. If you notice it there is too much. Im sure there are wines Ive really liked that had some aromas or flavors that were brett induced but it a subtle way.
I am not always sure if we all mean the same thing when we talk about Brett aroma.
Some specific, very specific, compounds that result from Brett contamination smell like cloves (eugenol?) and others like band-aids. I don’t mind a little of these. A lot of poo-smells, musty smells and barnyard smells are also potentially Brett. We should really be more specific…
I have a medium tolerance and find that a hint in some wines is fairly enjoyable. If it gets overbearing, IMO, the wine is too flawed for me to enjoy and goes down the drain.
Can musty smells be an indication of brett? I usually associate must/mildew with TCA. Band-aid & barnyard/poop/stale hay, brett. I usually notice the clove aromas more in brett-tinged beers than wine.
Comparing brett sensitivity to salt sensitivity is, I think, instructive.
I don’t limit my salt intake for any health reasons, but over the years I’ve gradually come to prefer much less salty food. As a result I find almost all restaurant food much too salty. The same goes for most packaged food.
My tolerance for brett has correspondingly decreased. As my tolerance decreases, my sensitivity increases. Now I find I frequently reject wine as bretty when others at the table don’t notice it. Sometimes they deny the presence even when I point it out, but if I ask if they like the hint of saddle leather they say they do.
I’m aware that there are scents resulting from brett that even I consider pleasant, and adding complexity to wine, such as bacon and cloves. Then I’m with Berry in that if the threshold is below anything that hints of barnyard, band-aids, and other funk I just enjoy the wine.
That is still a low enough level that I stick with my “always a flaw” vote.
I don’t mind some brett aspects like asian 5 spice, leather, clove, or smoked meat in my wines, depending on the wine. too often for me though, it crosses into band-aid and barnyard, and just can’t get into those aromas in my wines. perhaps Berry’s explanation is the most helpful. something that I do wonder though, is how many people actually know what brettanomyces can smell like? I’d bet that not as many as we think.
