Macrowine 2021
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Chemical and sensory diversity of regional Cabernet-Sauvignon wines

Chemical and sensory diversity of regional Cabernet-Sauvignon wines

Abstract

AIM: To investigate chemical and sensory drivers of regional typicity of Cabernet Sauvignon from different geographical regions of Australia.

METHODS: Commercial Cabernet wines (n = 52) from Coonawarra, Margaret River, and Yarra Valley Geographical Indications of Australia, and from Bordeaux, France, were selected for extensive chemical and sensory analysis.1 A range of analytical methods were optimised to quantify a comprehensive array of volatile compounds (> 70) originating from different sources, including grape, fermentation, oak maturation, and ageing. Along with basic chemical data, measurement of non-volatile compounds such as tannins and other secondary metabolites and elements was also undertaken. Multivariate statistical analysis using partial least squares regression was applied to the combined chemical data and the sensory analysis ratings obtained through a trained descriptive analysis panel of the same wines, to determine important compounds driving relevant sensory attributes.

RESULTS: The compound 1,4-cineole, described as ‘mint’ and ‘bay leaf’, was partly responsible for separation of the Cabernet Sauvignon wines from the Australian regions, particularly from Margaret River, whereas compounds such as 4-ethylphenol and 4-ethylguaiacol were linked to the aromas of ‘earthy’ and ‘yeasty’, which drove some of the separation of Bordeaux wines from the others. Varietal thiol, 3-mercapto-1-hexanol, which is mainly associated with Sauvignon Blanc and other white wine varieties, was measured in concentrations above its aroma detection threshold in all of the wines analysed, with similar concentrations present in Bordeaux and Coonawarra wines, and significantly higher concentrations in Margaret River and Yarra Valley wines. Additionally, non-volatiles such as particular elements drove some the separation between the regions; for example strontium was present in highest concentration in the Coonawarra wines and was found at lowest concentration in the Bordeaux wines. Free anthocyanins were also found to differ between Coonawarra and Bordeaux regions, with higher concentration being measured in the latter.

CONCLUSION

In determining the influential drivers of sensory properties of regional Cabernet Sauvignon wines, this study has uncovered various volatile and non-volatile constituents that are associated with specific sensory attributes. This is an important step in being able to define and subsequently help preserve the distinctive characters associated with regional Cabernet Sauvignon wines.

 

DOI:

Publication date: September 7, 2021

Issue: Macrowine 2021

Type: Article

Authors

Dimitra L. Capone 

Australian Research Council Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production, The University of Adelaide,Paul BOSS, CSIRO, and Australian Research Council Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production  Lira SOUZA GONZAGA, Australian Research Council Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production, and The University of Adelaide  Susan E. P. BASTIAN, Australian Research Council Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production, and The University of Adelaide Ruchira RANAWEERA, Department of Wine Science, The University of Adelaide David W. JEFFERY, Australian Research Council Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production, and The University of Adelaide

Contact the author

Keywords

volatile compound, non-volatile compound, sensory analysis, partial least squares regression, regionality, terroir

Citation

Related articles…

Copper contamination in vineyard soils of Bordeaux: spatial risk assessment for the replanting of vines and crops

Copper (Cu) is widely and historically used in viticulture as a fungicide against mildew. Cu has a strong affinity for soil organic matter and accumulates in topsoil horizons. Thus, Cu may negatively affect soil organisms and plants, consequently reducing soil fertility and productivity. The Bordeaux vineyards have the largest vineyard surfaces (26%) within French controlled appellation and a great proportion of French wine production (around 5 million hl per year). Considering the local context of vineyard surfaces decreasing (vine uprooting) and possible new crop plantation, the issue of Cu potential toxicity rises. Therefore, the aims of this work are firstly to evaluate the Cu contamination in vineyard soils of Bordeaux, secondly to produce a risk assessment map for new vine or crop plantation. We used soil analyses from several local studies to build a database with 4496 soil horizon samples. The database was enhanced by means of pedotransfer functions in order to estimate the bioaccessible (EDTA-extractable) Cu in soils of samples without measurements. From this database, 1797 georeferenced samples with CuEDTA concentrations in the topsoil (0-50 cm depth) were used for kriging interpolation in order to produce the spatial distribution map of CuEDTA in vineyard soils. Then, the spatial distribution of Cu was crossed with vine uprooting surfaces and municipality boundaries. CuEDTAconcentrations ranged from 0.52 to 459 mg/kg and showed clear anomalies. Our results from spatial analysis showed that almost 50% of vineyard soil surfaces have CuEDTA concentrations higher than 30 mg/kg (moderate risk for new plantation) and 20% with concentrations higher than 50 mg/kg (high risk for new plantation). A decision-support map based on municipalities was realised to provide a simple tool to stakeholders concerned by land use management.

Rapid damage assessment and grapevine recovery after fire

There is increasing scientific consensus that climate changeis the underlying cause of the prolonged dry and hot conditions that have increased the risk of extreme fire weather in many countries around the world. In December 2019, a bushfire event occurred in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia where 25,000 hectares were burnt and in vineyards and surrounding areas various degrees of scorching and infrastructure damage occurred. The ability to coordinate and plan recovery after a fire event relies on robust and timely data. The current practice for measuring the scale and distribution of fire damage is to walk or drive the vineyard and score individual vines based on visual observation. The process is time consuming, subjective, or semi-quantitative at best. After the December 2019 fires, it took many months to access properties and estimate the area of vineyard damaged. This study compares the rapid assessment and mapping of fire damage using high-resolution satellite imagery with more traditional ground based measures. Satellite imagery tracking vineyard recovery in the season following the bushfire is being correlated to field assessments of vineyard productivity such as canopy health and development, fertility and carbohydrate storage. Canopy health in the seasons following the fires correlated to the severity of the initial fire damage. Severely damaged vines had reduced canopy growth, were infertile or had very low fertility as well as lower carbohydrate levels in buds and canes during dormancy, which reduced productivity in the seasons following the bushfire event. In contrast, vines that received minor damage were able to recover within 1-2 years. Tools that rapidly and affordably capture the extent and severity of damage over large vineyard area will allow producers, government and industry bodies to manage decisions in relation to fire recovery planning, coordination and delivery, improving the efficiency and effectiveness of their response.

First step in the preparation of a soil map of the Protected Designation of Origin Valdepeñas (Central, Spain)

This work is a first step to make a map of vineyard soils. The characterization of the soils of the Protected Designation of Origin (D.P.O.) Valdepeñas will allow to group the studied profiles according to their physico-chemical characteristics and the concentrations of most relevant chemical elements. 90 soil profiles were analysed throughout the territory and the soils were sampled and described according to FAO (2006) and classified according to and Soil Taxonomy (2014). All samples were air dried, sieved and some physico-chemical parameters were determined following standard protocols. Also, major and trace elements were analysed by X-ray fluorescence. The statistically study was made using the SPSS program. Trend maps were made using the ArcGIS program. The studied soils have the following average properties: pH, 8.3; electrical conductivity, 0,20 dS/m (low); clay, 18.8% (medium) and CaCO3, 17.1% (high). In the study for the major elements. The major elements of these soils are Si, followed by Ca and Al, with an average content of 203.7 g/kg, 105.5 g/kg and 74.0 g/kg respectively. On the other hand, 27 trace elements have been studied. Of all of them, it can be highlighted the average values of Ba (361.8 mg/kg), Sr (129.3 mg/kg), Rb (83.4 mg/kg), V (74.2 mg/kg) and Ce (70.6 mg/kg). Ba, V and Ce values are higher and the values of Sr and Rb are lower to those found in the literature. The discriminant analysis shows a percentage of grouping of 91%. The content of chemical elements together with the physico-chemical characteristics allows grouping the soils in 4 group according to their order in the classification to Soil Taxonomy; due to the importance of the Calcisols in Castilla-La Mancha, it has been decided to establish them as their own group even if they do not appear in Soil Taxonomy classification.

VINIoT: Precision viticulture service for SMEs based on IoT sensors network

The main innovation in the VINIoT service is the joint use of two technologies that are currently used separately: vineyard monitoring using multispectral imaging and deployed terrain sensors. One part of the system is based on the development of artificial intelligence algorithms that are feed on the images of the multispectral camera and IoT sensors, high-level information on water stress, grape ripening status and the presence of diseases. In order to obtain algorithms to determine the state of ripening of the grapes and avoid losing information due to the diversity of the grape berries, it was decided to work along the first year 2020 at berry scale in the laboratory, during the second year at the cluster scale and on the last year at plot scale. Different varieties of white and red grapes were used; in the case of Galicia we worked with the white grape variety Treixadura and the red variety Mencía. During the 2020 and 2021 campaigns, multispectral images were taken in the visible and infrared range of: 1) sets of 100 grapes classifying them by means of densimetric baths, 2) individual bunches. The images taken with the laboratory analysis of the ripening stage were correlated. Technological maturity, pH, probable degree, malic acid content, tartaric acid content and parameters for assessing phenolic maturity, IPT, anthocyanin content were determined. It has been calculated for each single image the mean value of each spectral band (only taking into account the pixels of interest) and a correlation study of these values with laboratory data has been carried out. These studies are still provisional and it will be necessary to continue with them, jointly with the training of the machine learning algorithms. Processed data will allow to determine the sensitivity of the multispectral images and select bands of interest in maturation.

Analysis of Cabernet Sauvignon and Aglianico winegrape (V. vinifera L.) responses to different pedo-climatic environments in southern Italy

Water deficit is one of the most important effects of climate change able to affect agricultural sectors. In general, it determines a reduction in biomass production, and for some plants, as in the case of grapevine, it can endorse fruit quality. The monitoring and management of plant water stress in the vineyard