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Horse sweat

horse sweat (GB)
ape-shit (GB)

Name for a wine defect that occurs mainly in red wines, but for which there are many other names. These are Apeshit (South Africa), earthy note (see Geosmin), Brett, Hansaplast, Hunderschweiß, Lederton, Medizinalton, wet dog, wetter Fell, wetter Leder, Pferdestall, Pferdeton, Phenolton, Sattelton, Schweißsocken, Stallgeruch and Teerton. For this reason, the defect was often not clearly recognised in the past or not classified as a defect at all. It occurs in internationally renowned red wines, in Belgian beers and in ciders as a thoroughly accepted typical aroma. Through analyses, the same microorganisms could be identified as the cause in all these off-flavours. It is not uncommon for horse sweat to occur together with the wine defect mousse. The off-flavour occurs more frequently in red wines that have been subjected to barrique ageing, especially in new barrels, and/or to carbonic maceration (carbonic acid maceration). The main causes are a lack of hygiene such as unclean wooden barrels and/or too little use of sulphur.

Pferdeschweiß - Pferdekopf und Sattel

Brettanomyces

The causative yeast genus is called Brettanomyces (from which "Brett" is derived) or Dekkera. The species Brettanomyces bruxellensis is a slow-fermenting, highly alcohol-tolerant and non-spore-forming species. In addition to the usual sugars, it can also process the normally unfermentable cellobiose and xylose contained in the wood structure of new barrique barrels. It can also reproduce without any sugar residues, as ethanol and volatile acids are sufficient food. This yeast species is found in all wine-growing regions of the world, although it occurs preferentially in warmer regions. It forms various ethyl phenols during metabolism. As a specific side effect, acetic acid is also produced. Three substances have been identified as causative lead substances for the typical taste sensations. Already at the indicated perception thresholds in the microgram range (millionths of a gram), the flavours are recognisable. A negative influence already occurs when the sum of the latter two is above 425 µg/l:

  • 4-Etyhylcatechol (horse stable/sweat) - 50 µg/l
  • 4-ethylguaiacol (cloves, tar) - 50 µg/l
  • 4-ethylphenol (medicinal pungent) - 300 to 600 µg/l

Expressions

With a low expression or a correspondingly favourable quantity ratio of the three leading substances, the aroma is expressed by a pleasant smoky, leathery smell of cloves. It is described as animal or earthy, in which the alcohol type geosmin is also involved. There is the catchphrase "a little bit of Brett is nice" because quite a few consumers find this positive. This note is typical for many Australian and South African wines from, for example, the grape variety Syrah (Shiraz). There, and also in Bordeaux, this is even regarded as a typical characteristic or terroir of the soil (hence earthy note) or the type of vinification.

Pferdeschweiß - Räucherspeck und Teer

There are even wineries that deliberately inoculate their barrels with Brettanomyces fungi to produce this tone. In Austria, the term " Stinkerl" (stinky ) is used in a positive and trivialising sense. Most experts, however, reject the clay in principle and consider it, even in a minor form, to be an intolerable wine defect due to a lack of hygiene. In addition to the above-mentioned positive aromas, the wine has a sweetish, pungent and acidic tone that is penetratingly reminiscent of horse sweat, vinegar, pharmaceuticals, burnt beans, smoked bacon, clay and tar.

Control

By means of filtration, the Brettanomyces yeasts can be completely removed from the wine, but not the error-causing leading substances, because these are present in dissolved form. If such wines are bottled unfiltered, the yeasts can still multiply in the bottle. The germs survive in the pores of wood, tartar and other sediment residues of the emptied barrel until the next filling. Old and untended barriques are therefore ideal nesting places for Brettanomyces yeasts. If the wine is matured in stainless steel tanks, as is usually the case with white wines, the wine defect horse sweat hardly or very rarely occurs. An effective preventive measure is to sulphurise the wooden barrels by dry or wet preservation. The preservative dimethyldicarbonate is used as a further preventive. Control is carried out by means of PVPP (polyvinylpolypyrrolidone). Brettanomyces can be detected in wine by the PNA-FISH method. See a complete list of all faults under wine faults.

Horse head: by Peggychoucair on Pixabay
Saddle: by cmmckeehen on Pixabay
smoked bacon: by food photos on Pixabay
Tar: iStock Dubasov Evgenii

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