Malolactic fermentation before or during wine aging in barrels

Abstract

Malolactic fermentation (MLF) and aging in oak barrels are two oenological processes which modify the composition and sensory characteristics of the wines. However, there are few studies on the MLF in barrels.This work compares wines in which MLF is carried out in steel tanks and then aged in oak barrels, with wines in which MLF has been carried out in barrels.MLF occurs faster in barrels and while the fundamental structure of the wine is virtually identical, there is less color loss.Some groups of volatile compounds vary significantly depending on whether MLF takes place in tanks prior to aging or in the oak barrels themselves. It was shown that in this latter case, wines were obtained with slightly higher concentrations of methoxy-phenols and approximately double amount of whisky-lactones and furanic compounds.