Musty

/MUS-tee/

⚠️Faults 👃Tasting

Stale, moldy aroma from contamination or poor storage.

Full Definition

Musty describes stale, moldy, damp basement aromas indicating wine contamination or poor storage. Often caused by dirty barrels, cork taint, or cellar mold. A fault that overpowers wine character. Distinguished from positive earthy notes by its unpleasant, stale quality.

Related Terms

moldy cork taint tca

See Also

Must Back to Glossary Native Yeast

More terms starting with M

Maceration

Soaking grape skins in juice to extract color, tannin, and flavor.

Madeirized

Wine showing oxidation and heat damage, like Madeira.

Magnum

A 1.5-liter bottle, holding two standard bottles.

Malic Acid

A tart acid in grapes, converted to lactic acid during ML.

Malolactic Fermentation

Bacterial conversion of tart malic acid to softer lactic acid.

Master of Wine

The most prestigious wine qualification worldwide.