OENO IVAS 2019 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 The sensory profile of astringency: application on Sangiovese wines

The sensory profile of astringency: application on Sangiovese wines

Abstract

One of the main sensory characteristics of red wine is astringency, which can be defined as drying, puckering and roughing of the oral cavity after the exposure to tannin-rich wines. Tannins are the main responsible for the intensity of the sensation as well for the qualitative aspects of astringency. However, the total intensity of the sensation is not sufficient to fully characterize red wine astringency. Thirty-three different subqualities (Gawel et al. 2001) had been generated to describe the complexity of this multi perceptual phenomenon, which includes both tastes, tactile, and flavor sensations. So, how to feel tannins during tasting? In this study, we used a sensory method that combine the training for astringency subqualities with touch-standards and the CATA questions, usually applied in consumer science, to evaluate the astringency subqualities of different typologies of Sangiovese: commercial and experimental wines. Sangiovese wine represents a good model for the study of astringency because it is generally characterized by a high content of low and high molecular weight proantocyanidins. Commercial wines differed for percentage of Sangiovese (80-100 %) grapes used in winemaking and for designation (Toscana TS, Chianti Classico CH, Chianti Riserva CR, Morellino di Scansano MS). The astringency profile of wines changed as the percentage of Sangiovese increased. Positive subqualities as velvet, soft, mouthcoat, and rich highly characterized the Sangiovese wine belonging to TS and CR designations. Moreover, the astringency subqualities related to blending or wood aging, represented the drivers of quality of commercial Sangiovese wines. Therefore, four experimental wines (SANG1, SANG2, SANG3, SANG4) made with 100 % Sangiovese grapes in different wineries of Tuscany were also used to evaluate the subqualities of Sangiovese wine. At 8th months post-harvest (8 mph) wines were mainly characterized by green (Cf=40-60 %), dry (35 %), and adhesive (35-55 %) terms, indicating that Sangiovese wine tannins were excessively astringent and acid (green), causing a drying and sticking sensation in mouth. In order to follow the evolution of the astringency profile of Sangiovese during time, wines have been evaluated at 14-16-20 mph. The SANG1 wine at 14 and 16 mph was characterized by hard tannins, which at 20 mph turned to corduroy and rich subqualities. The SANG2 wine at 14 and 16 mph was felt as satin and silk, while at 20 mph became rich, soft and mouthcoat. The SANG3 wine was silk, corduroy and persistent after 14-16 mph, and velvet and full-body after 20 mph. The SANG4 was velvet and grainy at 14th mph, rich and soft at 16th mph, and full-body, mouthcoat and persistent after 20 months. Finally, the astringency profile of Sangiovese wine has changed from an unripe astringency towards rich, full-body and mouthcoating sensations during aging. By means of the described sensory method, a detailed evaluation of the astringency profile of Sangiovese was made, and the evolution of the qualitative features of Sangiovese tannins during aging has been revealed for the first time.

DOI:

Publication date: June 23, 2020

Issue: OENO IVAS 2019

Type: Article

Authors

Alessandra Rinaldi, Alliette Gonzalez, Luigi Moio

1. Universitàdegli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Dipartimento di Agraria, Sezione di Scienze della Vigna e del Vino 
2. Biolaffort, 126 Quai de la Souys, 33100 Bordeaux, France. 

Contact the author

Keywords

astringency, subqualities, Sangiovese, aging

Tags

IVES Conference Series | OENO IVAS 2019

Citation

Related articles…

ASSESSING THE ROLE OF 27 KNOWN BITTER COMPOUNDS IN COMMERCIAL WHITE WINES COMBINING LC-MS QUANTIFICATION AND SENSORY ANALYSIS

The balance between the different flavours of a wine largely determines its perception and appreciation by the consumers. In white wines, sweetness and sourness are usually the two poles balancing the taste properties. The bitter flavour, on the other hand, is frequently associated with a loss of equilibrium and all white wines (dry and sweet, young and aged) are affected. Several bitter compounds are already well-described in wines.

Cover crop management and termination timing have different effects on the maturation and water potentials of Glera (Vitis vinifera L.) in Friuli-Venezia Giulia

Inter-row soil tillage in vineyards, stimulates vigor and production due to the absence of competition for water and nutrients, however negatively affects organic matter content, soil erosion, and compaction, resulting in reduced fertility. In this study, we investigated the effects of different cover crop management approaches, including cultivation type and termination timing, on the physiological and productive responses of a Glera vineyard.
The experimental trial was conducted in Precenicco (UD) from 2019 to 2021. A commercial mixture for autumn cover cropping was sown in alternating rows, and the sowing pattern was changed each year.

Managing precision irrigation in vineyards: hydraulic and molecular signaling in eight grapevine varieties

Understanding the physiological and molecular bases of grapevine responses to mild to moderate water deficits is fundamental to optimize vineyard irrigation management and identify the most suitable varieties. In Mediterranean regions, the higher frequency of heat waves and droughts highlights the importance of precision irrigation to meet vine water demands and demonstrates the necessity for a deeper understanding of the different physiological responses among varieties under water stress. In this context, previous reports show an interplay between stomatal regulation of transpiration and changes in leaf hydraulic conductivity, also with the involvement of aquaporins (AQPs), particularly under water stress. However, how those signaling mechanisms are regulated in different grapevine varieties along phenological phases is unclear.

Extraction of polyphenols from grape marc by supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and evaluation of their ‘bioavailability’ as dietary supplements

In the winemaking process, several compounds that remain in the grape skins and seeds after the fermentation stage are bioactive-compounds (substances with potential beneficial effects on health) that can be extracted in order to recovery valuable substances with a high commercial value for the cosmetic, food (nutraceuticals) and pharmaceutical industries. The skins contain significant amounts of bioactive substances such as tannins (16-27%) and other polyphenolic compounds (2-6.5%) in particular, catechins, anthocyanins, proanthocyanins, quercetin , ellagic acid and resveratrol.

BIOPROTECTION BY ADDING NON-SACCHAROMYCES YEASTS : ADVANCED RESEARCH ON THIS PROMISING ALTERNATIVE TO SO₂

Sulphur dioxide has been used for many years for its antimicrobial, antioxidant and antioxydasic properties in winemaking but nowadays, it is a source of controversy. Indeed, consumers are more attentive to the naturalness of their foods and beverages and the legislation is changing to reduce the total SO₂ levels allowed in wines. To limit and replace the doses of sulphur dioxide applied, winemakers can now use bioprotection consisting in live yeast addition as alternative,seems to be promising. This process, lightly used in from the food industry, allows to colonize the environment and limit the development or even eliminate undesirable microorganisms without altering the sensory properties of the product.