The yeasty problem.

I was enjoying my recent flight to LAX, until I happened upon a story in the in-flight magazine. The author, an MW no less, in reviewing a newly released champagne, praised its 'yeastiness.' Aaaaagh ! Pardon me please while I mount my life long soapbox.

In Champagne, such a term is considered derogatory, and the actual taste or odour of yeast considered a defect; corresponding as it does to tastes or odours that are devoid of finesse as it emanates from yeasts in concentrated liquid suspension.

The author was possibly meaning to describe the bouquet resulting from the aromatic compounds that are formed in the course of the secondary fermentation. These compounds are formed during the bottle fermentation as an effect of the action of yeasts, but are also attributable to prolonged aging on lees; the responsible phenomena is a complexity of transformations such as esterification reactions of the alcohols and of hydrolysis of certain esters leading to an accumulation of these compounds.

In tasting terms, we should express the combination of these compounds appropriately, with respect to the olfactory and gustatory sensations.

Thus, the yeast autolysis character derived from the secondary fermentation in bottle is part of a champagne's charm. But to refer to the 'yeastiness' of a champagne is a violation of all that is beautiful about it.

Once again, your comments are always welcome.