Earth

Quick Fact - there's no 'earth' in your wine, so no issue there! When people talk about 'earthy' flavours in their wine, they are referring to things like soil, undergrowth, clay or compost. These flavours are not neccesarily indicative of the type of earth the vines have grown in, but may be linked to the oak usage of the wine, the age of the wine or the particular grape variety it is made from.

Mourvedre and Carignan for example are typically 'earthy' grapes. The effect of oak ageing can make a wine take on 'dried earth' characters as well, as can an older wine, which will often show dried leaves or 'forest floor' characters - all words used to describe a general earthiness in the wine.