Description for a negatively bitter and angular flavour (also tinny, hard, inky) of a wine in the context of a wine assessment or wine evaluation. High metal contents of aluminium, iron, copper or zinc in wine can cause the wine defect black breakage (also white, grey or blue breakage depending on the wine colour). The wine may exhibit a flaky cloudiness due to the precipitation of insoluble metal compounds ranging from milky-white to blackish-green in colour; this is also referred to as metal turbidity.
The metals can originate from the soil or have entered the grapes through fungal attack. However, they can also be released from metallic components such as barrel nails or metallic fittings due to the influence of acids and tannins during barrel ageing. Brief contact of the corkscrew spiral with the wine when opening a bottle can also lead to a slightly metallic flavour. In some cases (especially with iron and copper), off-flavours can be corrected by blue fining (a special form of fining).
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