🍷 Reduction (wine)
Smells of rotten egg or struck match when the wine lacked air.
Reduction is a wine fault in which unpleasant smells appear. Most often the wine smells of rotten egg, a struck match or boiled cabbage. The cause is a lack of air during ageing.
How does it happen? Wine contains sulphur compounds. If there is little oxygen, they remain as smelly substances. This is more common in closed tanks and in bottles with a tight closure, such as a screw cap.
What can be done? Often it is enough to let the wine breathe. Decanting helps: the wine is poured from the bottle into a decanter or another vessel, and the air carries the extra smells away. Sometimes the smell goes within a few minutes in the glass.
Reduction does not always mean the wine is spoiled. In a weak form such notes appear in young wines and fade with time. But a strong smell points to a clear fault. If the smell does not go away and gets stronger, it is better to replace the wine: then it is a fault rather than a light note.
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Frequently asked questions
Why does wine smell of rotten egg?
Because of reduction: with too little air, smelly sulphur compounds stay in the wine.
How can the reduction smell be removed?
Usually it helps to let the wine breathe: pour it into a decanter or leave it in the glass for a few minutes.
Does reduction always mean the wine is spoiled?
Not always. Weak notes appear in young wines and fade with time, but a strong smell is considered a fault.
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