Relationship between chemical parameters of tannins and in-mouth attributes of grape phenolic fractions

Abstract

AIM: Establish relationships between taste and mouthfeel properties of grapes and tannin-related chemical parameters.

METHODS: Tempranillo Tinto and Garnacha Tinta grapes were harvested from distinct blocks in different dates; each sample collection date was separated by one week. Grapes were destemmed and macerated in 15% of ethanol for one week. The polyphenolic fraction (PF) of samples was submitted to solid phase extraction on C18 cartridges and recovered with ethanol. PFs were reconstituted in wine model and their taste and mouthfeel properties were characterised by rate-K-attributes methodology. In parallel, concentration (TC) and activity (TAc) of tannins as well as the concentration of tannins linked to anthocyanins (T-A) were determined using HPLC-UV–VIS.

RESULTS: Garnacha PFs show significatively lower values for TAc, TC and the concentration of polymeric pigments (T-A) than Tempranillo PFs. On the one hand, for the Garnacha PFs, TAc and TC present significant and positive correlations with the three dry-related terms evaluated (i.e.: “dry”, “dry on the tongue side” and “dry palate”). Besides, TC also shows negative correlations with “silky” and “watery” atributes and the concentration of polymeric pigments presents a positive correlation with the overall dry-related term: “dry” and a negative relationship with “fleshy”, “silky” and “gummy”. On the other hand, Tempranillo PFs do not present significant sensochemical correlations, which could be attributed to the fact that the chemical parameters of the PFs evaluated present a small variability inducing none significant sensory differences.

CONCLUSIONS:

The presented approach enables to have a representative pool of phenolic fractions of grapes. Significant correlations between mouthfeel terms such as “dry”, “silky”, “watery”, “fleshy”, “silky” and “gummy” and the chemical parameters measured are observed.