Description, in the context of a wine analysis or wine evaluation, for the state in which fats and lipids (oils, waxes) decompose through oxidation or through fat-splitting enzymes. The resulting reaction products are often bad-tasting or smelly substances (e.g. free fatty acids) that impair the sensory properties of food or make it unpalatable. In the case of wine, rancid notes are generally considered negative and are assessed as wine defects. In wines with a deliberately oxidative style, which are often referred to as rancio, rancid notes can be typical of the style to a very small extent, for example in variants of sherry and Madeira.
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