What is the effect of bound sulfur?

[mark e]

originally posted by Jonathan Loesberg:
I also understand what Ian meant by the floral perfume creating the impression of sweetness.

I really don't. But many clearly do. So often when we would pour someone a glass of riesling at the restaurant, the reaction would be "Oh, that's sweet!" even before they tasted it.

 

[Oswaldo Costa]

originally posted by mark e:

originally posted by Jonathan Loesberg:
I also understand what Ian meant by the floral perfume creating the impression of sweetness.

I really don't. But many clearly do. So often when we would pour someone a glass of riesling in at the restaurant, the reaction would be "Oh, that's sweet!" even before they tasted it.

Similar to when people smell botrytis and expect sweetness, and are dumbfounded when it's not there.

 

[Jeff Grossman]

originally posted by Oswaldo Costa:

originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:
As to relative rates of sugar and acid decay, if they are comparable, would tend to support the dictum that youthful balance is a key indicator of long-term quality - balanced in youth => balanced in maturity.

In the fifth, I've never heard that dictum (but I may move in the wrong circle of platitudes) and it seems very unlikely that the rates of decay are in any way similar.

I have heard this saying before. Furthermore, I have found it to be mostly true: it is rare that I have laid down a wine that was unbalanced and it was miraculously better when I picked it up again 10 years later.

 

[Ian Fitzsimmons]

originally posted by Oswaldo Costa:

originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:
Sweetness is not fruit, in my understanding of things. Sweetness comes from sugars, fruit conventionally connotes a variety of qualities in the flavor and aroma dimensions. Many dry wines may be enjoyed before shutting down for their 'youthful fruit.' Dry Gewürztraminer is an example of a variety yielding wines that taste sweetish, because of their floral aromas, with little or no RS.

As to relative rates of sugar and acid decay, if they are comparable, would tend to support the dictum that youthful balance is a key indicator of long-term quality - balanced in youth => balanced in maturity.

Since fruit is sweet, I tend to conflate sweetness with fruit, but I agree with your first three sentences.

In the fourth, I didn't understand the phrase "wines that taste sweetish because of their floral aromas" (even with the comma after sweetish) since aroma and sweetness are unrelated.

I find floral aromas combine with things like plush mouthfeel to generate an overall sensation gestalt that is easy to conflate with sweetness. I believe this combination partly causes the sense of fruity sweetness in some young wines that are fermented dry.

the fifth, I've never heard that dictum (but I may move in the wrong circle of platitudes) and it seems very unlikely that the rates of decay are in any way similar.

I've come across it numerous times, and it's intuitively attractive, even if evidence supporting causality is conspicuous by its absence. If acids and sugars react substantially with each other, it would be plausible to expect a correlation between the rates of decay for these two components. I don't know about this.