Term
Reduction
rih-DUK-shun
Struck match, then fruit
A sulfur-related aroma from too little oxygen in the winemaking: matchstick, smoke, sometimes rotten egg. Often a swirl away from disappearing.
Low-oxygen winemaking (screwcaps, inert gas, unstirred lees) preserves freshness and can trap volatile sulfur compounds. A struck-match note in young Chablis or Burgundy is often considered a stylistic fingerprint. Rotten egg (hydrogen sulfide) is a fault that may need copper or air.
Decanting or swirling usually tells you which you have. If it blows off, it was reduction. If it does not, you may have a problem.
Do not confuse it with oak smoke or with cork taint.
