Tertiary Aromas (Bouquet)
Aromas that develop during ageing — in oak barrels or in bottle — including vanilla, toast, smoke, leather, tobacco, dried fruit, mushroom, and earthy notes.
In depth
Tertiary aromas (sometimes called "bouquet") develop after fermentation, during the ageing phase. They can originate from two sources: oak barrel ageing (oak-derived tertiary aromas) and bottle ageing (oxidative and reductive tertiary aromas).
Oak-derived tertiary aromas include: vanilla, toast, coconut (American oak), cedar, spice, smoke, and cloves. These come from compounds in the oak wood that are extracted into the wine during barrel ageing. New oak imparts more flavour than old oak; smaller barrels (225L barriques) more than larger ones.
Bottle-ageing tertiary aromas develop from the wine's own compounds reacting over time under reductive (low-oxygen) conditions. Red wine develops: leather, tobacco, truffle, forest floor, game, dried fruit, and secondary fruit. White wine develops: honey, petrol/kerosene (Riesling), toast, dried apricot, and waxy notes (Sémillon).
Tertiary aromas signal a wine that has seen ageing, whether in oak, bottle, or both. In a Level 3 tasting note, identifying specific tertiary aromas and attributing them correctly to oak or bottle ageing is expected.
Related exam topics
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between tertiary aromas from oak and from bottle ageing?
- Oak-derived tertiary aromas come from compounds extracted from the barrel wood — vanilla, toast, coconut, cedar, spice. These develop during barrel ageing and are present from the moment the wine is bottled. Bottle ageing tertiary aromas develop slowly over years in bottle — leather, tobacco, truffle, game, and forest floor in reds; honey, petrol, and waxy notes in whites. Both contribute to a wine's complexity, but skilled tasters can distinguish between them.
Practise questions on this topic
Use Vinlecta to practise exam-style questions that test your knowledge of tertiary aromas (bouquet) and related topics.