Many grape varieties are said to smell or taste of a particular fruit or vegetable. When tasting it is always a good idea to keep an open mind and discover what something smells and tastes like to you, rather than follow the well-trodden path. However, there are some fairly straightforward assumptions.

Gamay, the grape variety used for Beaujolais quite often resembles strawberries. Oaky Australian Chardonnay will more than likely remind you of pineapple and tropical fruit. Sauvignon Blanc is more like gooseberries and in many cases, especially in New Zealand, asparagus.

While opening a bottle of Medoc the other day, I remembered I had bought some fresh Scottish blackcurrants the previous day while at the Farmer's Market. And as Medoc, although a blend, is usually made up of a large part Cabernet Sauvignon, I put a handful of blackcurrants in a small dish and mashed them up a bit to release the flavours and scents. I then compared the noses on both the glass and the dish. And it works.

Clearly, this being a blend, it wasn't the only character I picked up on. My tasting partner thought there was some blackberry (could this be the Merlot?) and the fact that the wine had been on oak also gave it a hint of vanilla and cinnamon.

What it does show is that sometimes having the actual fruit there can help to identify what you actually smell. I have on occasion used a fruit yoghurt for that purpose and identified peaches on the nose of a wine.

About the wine:

Chateau Moulin de Noaillac

Medoc 2000

Cru Bourgeois

A mix of Cabernet Sauvignon (55%), Merlot (40%) and Petit Verdot (5%). A fine unobtrusive nose. Slightly spicy oak characters, but still very fruity, blackcurrant (of course) and other black fruits. Tannin has nicely integrated. Rich, ripe and fruity, a dense wine maturing very nicely. An example that relatively simple Bordeaux can be very good in a great vintage.