Influence of low temperature prefermentative techniques on chromatic and phenolic characteristics of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon wines

• DOI: 10.1007/s00217-008-0989-5
• Publication Date: 2008-12-15T14:29:18Z
• Authors: Rocío Gil-Muñoz; Ana Moreno-Pérez; Rosario Vila-López; José Ignacio Fern...; Adrián Martínez-C...; Encarna Gómez-Plaza
• Keywords: Maceration (sewage); Bottling line; Winemaking; Wine color; Ethanol Fermentation; Oenology

Low temperature prefermentative techniques (cold maceration, superficially frozen grapes and dry-ice frozen must) were studied as an enological alternative for obtaining highly colored wines and compared with other more common practices, such as the use of maceration enzymes during the maceration step. The experiments were conducted with two grape varieties (Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon) during the 2007 season. Significant differences were found between the treatments at the three moments analyzed (at the end of alcoholic and malolactic fermentation, and at the moment of bottling). The cold maceration technique produced the highest concentration of anthocyanins in Cabernet Sauvignon wines. As regards chromatic parameters, the prefermentative low temperature techniques led to wines with a better color than the control wine although similar to the color obtained when a commercial maceration enzyme was used. Taking into account the results in both Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah wines, freezing the must with dry-ice and the use of maceration enzyme were the most interesting techniques.