Smell of rotting leaves evokes a love of fall, Pinot Noir

Ah, I smelled it for the first time this past weekend. It is a scent that only comes out this time of year. It is as brief as it is wonderful. It is termed by wine tasters to describe a general earthiness in wine, especially Pinot Noir. It is "forest floor!" Really, it is just a mass of wet, decomposing leaves; but it is not very romantic to describe a wine with notes of wet, decomposing leaves -- so we wine snobs came up with "forest floor."

It’s kind of sweet, kind of spicy, kind of savory, and kind of funky all at the same time. I love the scent mostly for how powerful it is. Because it lasts for such a brief period, for me it is strongly attached to the autumn season as a whole. It conjures memories of playing in the leaves as a kid, of Halloween, of football season, of coming in for dinner cold and wet, of the last few desperate uses of the barbeque before covering it up for the winter.

Perhaps no other aromatic in wine is as powerful for me in as far as what smelling it relates me to. Perhaps that is why I love Pinot so much. Pinot lovers of Ann Arbor, do you know what I’m talking about? Do any of you feel the same way about a different wine aromatic?

Eric Arsenault is the sommelier for The Chop House and the Director of Wine and Spirits for Mainstreet Ventures. He blogs about wine for AnnArbor.com