The impact of selected odorant combinations in wine oxidative aroma and their interactive role on the olfactory perception

Abstract

It is widely known the impact that oxidation has on wine sensory degradation and eventually, in the shortening of its longevity. To date, several molecules emerging through oxidation have been identified as potentially responsible for certain aromatic deviations (ADs) provoking in the wine notes of “dried fruit”, “cooked vegetables” or “spirit-like alcohol”. However, their combined role remains unexplored, not only for the expression of these notes but also for the omission of other positives such as “red fruit” or “spicy”. Meanwhile, recent chemo-sensory advancements suggest that perception is determined by odorant interactions (creative, associative, competitive or destructive), merging in different aromatic vectors [1], and that it is also influenced by the aromatic context [2]. Hence, the main objective of the work is to evaluate different combinations of these odorants and their impact on the expression of certain attributes in different aromatic contexts of red wine.

The analysis is based on a systematic chemo-sensory study conducted on red wines. Eight combinations of the odorants prompted to play a major role in oxidative aroma (acetaldehyde, 2,4,5-trimethyl-1,3-dioxolane, diethyl acetal, 3-methylbutanal, methional and phenylacetaldehyde), were selected through multivariate analysis (PCA, ANOVAs, and k-means clustering). These combinations as well as the impact of the omission of each odorant on the expression of certain notes were evaluated using the Olfactoscan. The stimuli were assessed for model wine solutions representing aromatic contexts of young red wine, oak-aged and Cabernet-Sauvignon.

This study determines the relationship that the selected odorants have in the development or inhibition of certain attributes. Besides, it is observed that the influence of the aromatic buffer is crucial for the aromatic robustness of the wine. Proof of this is that large compositional changes generate minimal impact on Cabernet Sauvignon, probably due to the differential role of its pyrazines, which act as aromatic suppressors.

Finally, results reveal the existence of certain “key” combinations triggering great aromatic changes, indicating the existence of configurational-type interactions.

References

[1] Ferreira, V., De-La-Fuente-Blanco, A., Sáenz-Navajas, M.P., (2021). Foods, 10(7).

[2] Thomas-Danguin,T., Sinding, C., Romagny, S., El Mountassir, F., Atanasova, B., Le Berre, E., Le Bon, A.M., Coureaud, G. (2014). Frontiers in Psychology, 5(1).