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What is Charcoal in wine? Wine Terms Explained

by The Cheeky Vino

There are plenty of weird wine terms out there, and it can be hard to know what they all mean. This makes it really difficult to get into wine when wine tasting notes are full of confusing terms. So in Wine Terms Explained, we unpack some of these weird wine terms so you can get back to enjoying wine. In this article, we unpack something I wouldn’t think you would usually like to find in wine. Have you ever tasted a wine with charcoal notes? It seems like it would be out of place, but is it a good thing? In this article, we dive into what is charcoal in wine?

What is charcoal in wine?

Understanding what this tasting note means first understanding what you would taste. Charcoal is made up of carbon and ash. You may have experienced its flavour and aroma in chargrilled food cooked over a wood fire. If you are tasting charcoal in wine, you’ll find similar notes to what you’d find in chargrilled food.

Charcoal in wine as a flavour is described as smoky, woody and slightly acrid. These wines are often described as tasting gritty, dry and with a rustic flavour.

Charcoal is described as a savoury note in wine and helps to balance out fruit flavours. It doesn’t mean the wine has no fruit notes, but rather charcoal and other savoury notes complement these flavours and add complexity to the wine.

Where does it come from?

So where does charcoal in wine come from? Well, there are a couple of places it doesn’t come from first. Firstly, finding a charcoal note in your wine is different to having wine with smoke taint. These wines have been impacted by smoke and have a different flavour profile.

Charcoal can also be added as a fining agent in winemaking to take out undesirable elements from the wine, or lighten the colour of white wines. But this doesn’t add a charcoal flavour profile.

Charcoal and other smoky flavours can be created by oak-ageing. Their intensity usually depends on how much the barrel was toasted as well as the other flavour profiles. A barrel that is highly toasted and new will be more likely to impart charcoal and smoky notes to a wine than a barrel that has been reused or lightly toasted.

Where will you find it?

This wine tasting note is predominately found in red wines that have been oaked.

There are a few wines where you are likely to find it. Many Shiraz or Syrah wines are notorious for smoky charcoal elements integrated with black fruit and pepper. You can also look for these notes in tannic reds such as Barolo wines or classic Bordeaux blends where charcoal melds with heavy cassis.

Generally, it is more likely to be present in bolder, tannic reds to balance out fruity notes and high tannins with oak influence. You are less likely to find this note in lighter reds or white wines.

Is tasting charcoal in wine a good thing?

So now that you know what it is, is it a good thing? As with most wine tasting notes, it all comes down to what you prefer. If you like a bolder red with complexity, you will likely enjoy finding charcoal or smoke influence in your wine. It can be a great thing when counterbalanced correctly with fruit notes and tannins. It can also be great when combined with the right food such as smokey meats or fleshy vegetables. Regardless, tasting it is a good thing if you enjoy it.

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