Characterization of Odorants in a 10-Year-Old Riesling Wine.

Abstract

Riesling wines are mostly enjoyed as young wines, usually consumed within the first few years after bottling. Throughout several years of aging, Riesling wines begin to develop more robust flavor profiles, often displaying less fruity and floral notes and more pronounced maple, honey, and caramel notes. A body of scientific literature has been conducted on the aroma chemistry of young Riesling wines; however, comparatively less scientific reports have been published on the aroma chemistry of aged Riesling wines, and a comprehensive aroma analysis of a 10-year-old Riesling wine has not been previously completed. In this study, a total of 36 odorants were identified in a 10-year-old aged Riesling wine using solvent-assisted flavor evaporation and aroma extract dilution analysis. A total of 26 odorants were quantitated by employing stable isotope dilution assays. Odorants with high odor activity values (OAV) included wine lactone (coconut, OAV 460), ethyl octanoate (fruity, OAV 240), ethyl hexanoate (fruity, OAV 97), β-damascenone (cooked apple, OAV 60), 5-ethyl-3-hydroxy-4-methyl-(5H)-furan-2-one (maple, OAV 33), (S)-ethyl 2-methylbutanoate (fruity, OAV 22), 3-(methylsulfanyl) propanal (cooked potato, OAV 20), ethyl 2-methylpropanoate (fruity, OAV 9.5), ethyl butanoate (fruity, 7.1 OAV), and 1,1,6-trimethyl-1,2-dihydronapthalene (petrol, OAV 6.4). An odor simulation model prepared from all the odorants with an OAV greater than 1 closely matched the sensory profile of the authentic wine. The results of this study provide insight about odorants present in a 10-year-old bottle aged Riesling wine, and this knowledge may be useful for future studies aimed at probing the influence of aging on the aroma chemistry of Riesling wines and other white wines.