Revealing the origins of old Bordeaux wines using terpene quantification

The overall quality of fine wines is linked to the development of  “bouquet” during wine bottle ageing. Bordeaux red wine ageing bouquet is defined by the association of several odours including fresh and fruity notes sometimes related to specific compounds. Some of those molecules, such as thiols or DMS are issued from precursors produced by the grapevine. On the another hand, several compounds such as terpenes are produced  by the grape as precursors and released during ageing. The aroma of aged wines , the “bouquet” could originate directly in grapes thanks to flavour precursors.

In this study we addressed the questions: What is the most important between vintage and terroir in wine identity? And is there a molecular signature in the aroma of old wines linked to grape origin and revealed during ageing? This work is a result of the collaboration between ISVV of Bordeaux (France) and the Department of Biotechnology of the Univerisity of Verona (Italy) and is focused on red wines of Bordeaux. 

Video of the seminar held during Macrowine virtual (June 23-30, 2021)

Annual subscription to Infowine: The subscription, at a cost of € 60 (VAT included) entitles you to one year's access to all the documents published on the site, including the historical archive (click here).