Abstract
The chemical and sensory characteristics of the wines are related to the geographical origin of the grape, as a result of the interplay between the plant material (G), its acclimatization to the environment (E) and the human factor that influences both the vineyard and the winery. The range of phenotypes that a single genotype can express depending on its environment is known as phenotypic plasticity and is the result of G × E interaction. The present study evaluated the independent and interactive effects of Cabernet Sauvignon plant materials (G: Clone 7 and Mount Eden) implanted in different geographical indications of Mendoza, Argentina (E: Agrelo, Pampa El Cepillo, Altamira and Gualtallary) according to fruit yield and phenolic profiles of wines. The experiment was carried out during 2018 and 2019 vintages using a multifactorial design. When berries reached 24 °Brix, the clusters were harvested, analyzed and wines elaborated by a standardized procedure. Then, the anthocyanin and non-anthocyanin phenolic profiles of wines were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array and fluorescence detection (HPLC-DAD–FLD). The results revealed significant G × E interactions for yield traits, including the number of clusters per plant. Differential chemical composition and quality parameters of the resulting wines, markedly affected by E, were observed; that is the geographical location of the vineyards. There were similarities in the phenolic composition between Pampa El Cepillo and Altamira, while larger differences between Agrelo and Gualtallary were observed. Gualtallary presented the highest levels of anthocyanins, quercetin andtrans-resveratrol. The increased amount of these compounds in Gualtallary was associated with an increased UV-B exposure of plants at this high altitude environment. This is the first report that characterizes the effects of plant material and environment for Cabernet Sauvignon. These results are of oenological and viticulture interest for the wine industry demonstrating that the selection of the plant material and the vineyard location for Cabernet Sauvignon can considerably affect the quality attributes of wines.
Highlights
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the best-known and most widespread red wine varieties in the world, with a high tannins concentration, within the existing red varieties (Togores, 2003)
The fruit yield in 2018 was higher in AGR, with differences between G (3 kg plant−1 for Clone 7 and 4 kg plant−1 for Mount Eden), and it was lower for Pampa El Cepillo (PEC), ALT and GUA, respectively
The vineyards are located in an altitudinal gradient that markedly modify the environmental conditions
Summary
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the best-known and most widespread red wine varieties in the world, with a high tannins concentration, within the existing red varieties (Togores, 2003). Within Mendoza, the largest areas of Cabernet Sauvignon are distributed in Luján de Cuyo (19.8%) and the Uco Valley (27.4%); both regions reputed for their high-quality wines. The Uco Valley is characterized by high-altitude vineyards, high ultraviolet-B solar radiation, rocky and permeable soils, and high thermal amplitudes. The phenotypic plasticity is the capacity of a genotype to express different phenotypes (including differential wine sensory attributes) when exposed to different environments (Pigliucci, 2005; Nicotra and Davidson, 2010); and plays an important role in the acclimatization and adaptation to climate change (Weiner, 2004; Van Kleunen and Fischer, 2005). It is known that the responses to the environment vary depending on the plant material (Schultz, 2003), i.e., some genotypes might be more suitable for a particular environment than others
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