Appears in
Oxford Companion to Wine

By Jancis Robinson

Published 2006

  • About

TDN, the flavour compound norisoprenoid hydrocarbon 1,1,6-trimethyl-1,2-dihydronaphthalene found particularly in riesling. TDN formation responds to fruit microclimate and is increased by high temperatures and solar radiation. Low-ph wines seem to be more prone to TDN formation, and yeast strain also affects it. At or just above the detection threshold, it adds to the complexity of a bottle-aged wine but at relatively high concentrations, particularly in wines that have been in bottle for two or more years, and in excess, TDN can impart an undesirably pronounced kerosene-like flavour.