Skip to content
WineHQ
Search

Wine fault

Burnt rubber character

A burnt-rubber or acetone note historically associated with some South African wine, and much argued over.

Genuinely argued about

What you notice

Smell

  • Smells of burnt rubber or tyres — also seen in Reduction
  • Smells of acetone or solvent — also seen in Volatile acidity (VA)

What it is

This has been a live argument in South African wine for decades, and WineHQ records it as contested rather than settled.

Some tasters — historically some British critics in particular — reported it consistently in South African wine; South African producers and researchers have often disputed both its prevalence and its cause.

It overlaps substantially with reduction, and part of the disagreement may be about labelling the same phenomenon differently.

Where it does occur it is most associated with poorly made Pinotage, which has contributed to that variety’s mixed reputation.

WineHQ includes it because readers encounter the term, not because the underlying claim is resolved.

What causes it

  • Variously attributed to reductive winemaking, high fermentation temperatures, particular yeast strains and viticultural factors.
  • The cause has never been conclusively established, and there is no single agreed mechanism.

Can I fix it?

Sometimes

Sometimes. Where the cause is reductive, air helps; where it is not, it will not.

What you can do

  • Try aeration, since if the cause is reductive it may improve.
  • If it persists and you dislike it, this producer or style is not for you.

What does not work

Published because a reader holding a spoiled bottle has usually already been told to try one of these. Correcting the specific wrong advice is more use than stating the right answer beside it in silence.

Assuming it is always a fault
A pronounced rubber or acetone note is a fault, but some of what gets called this is simply the style and the producer. Trying air first tells you which you have.

Is it safe to drink?

Not a safety problem

Unpleasant, not harmful. You can drink it; you may not want to.

Yes. Whatever is responsible — and there is genuine disagreement about that — it presents no health concern. This is an argument about taste.

Can I take it back?

Weak grounds unless extreme. This is closer to a stylistic dispute than to an agreed fault.

Sources

Sources consulted

Not sure this is it? Work through the troubleshooter →