Role of Glycosidic Aroma Precursors on the odorant profiles of Grenache noir and Syrah Wines from the Rhone valley. Part 1: sensory study

Abstract

Aims: The aim of this study was to demonstrate the impact of the volatile compounds, arising from glycosidic precursors contained in the berries of Vitis vinifera L.cv Syrah and Grenache noir varieties, on wine aromas from these varieties.

Methods and results: The sensory analysis was used to compare Grenache noir and Syrah wines. The role played by the glycosidic precursors on the future odorant profile of the wines from both varieties was demonstrated in an experiment by increasing their natural content in glycosides. Then, odorant compounds were generated by aging treatments, heating at 45 °C for 3 weeks, preceded or not by enzyme addition, or natural aging for 18 months. The wines were then submitted to a selected and trained panel. Samples were compared using triangular test. Furthermore, a quantitative descriptive analysis was carried out to determine the aroma attributes describing and discriminating the wines from the two varieties.

Conclusion: The glycoconjugates increased the global aromatic complexity, and enhanced the fruity aromas in Grenache wines and the leather or olive aromas in Syrah wines. The use of glycosidase enzymes led to a stewed fruit character in Grenache wines, whereas in Syrah wines, the samples enriched with glycosides differed according to the « terroir ».

Significance and impact of study: This study showed the impact of the glycosidic fraction of the grapes on the varietal aroma of wines. Furthermore, comparisons of the results obtained by both aging techniques highlight the experimental interest of the aging model but also its limits.