flavour compounds, imprecise and inclusive term for substances in wines that can be smelled or tasted (see tasting), sometimes called aroma compounds. The term flavour compounds is used more particularly for the volatile compounds which are sensed olfactorily, by the nose, and which contribute to both aroma and, later, bouquet, the flavour changing rapidly and markedly during the first few months of a wine’s life and then more and more slowly as it matures. Certain compounds are associated with particular vine varieties although the exact chemical nature of compounds associated with varietal flavours is still the subject of study.
