Abstract
The evolution of monovarietal fortified Madeira wines forced-aged by traditional thermal processing (estufagem) were studied in terms of volatiles. SPE extracts were analysed by GC–MS before and after heating at 45°C for 3months (standard) and at 70°C for 1month (overheating). One hundred and ninety volatile compounds were identified, 53 of which were only encountered in baked wines. Most chemical families increased after standard heating, especially furans and esters, up to 61 and 3-fold, respectively. On the contrary, alcohols, acetates and fatty acids decreased after heating. Varietal aromas, such as Malvasia’s monoterpenic alcohols were not detected after baking. The accelerated ageing favoured the development of some volatiles previously reported as typical aromas of finest Madeira wines, particularly phenylacetaldeyde, β-damascenone and 5-ethoxymethylfurfural. Additionally, ethyl butyrate, ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, ethyl caproate, ethyl isovalerate, guaiacol, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and γ-decalactone were also found as potential contributors to the global aroma of baked wines.
Highlights
Flavour is one of the most significant factors of wine quality, determining the consumer acceptance or rejection
The current study revealed that a large number of compounds were developed during the traditional heating of Madeira wines (Fig. 2); 53 of the identified compounds were exclusively found in baked wines
The results showed that young TN dry wine presented the highest fraction of volatiles, about 52 mg/L, which is in agreement with the fermentation degree, essentially due to the higher levels of esters and higher alcohols
Summary
Flavour is one of the most significant factors of wine quality, determining the consumer acceptance or rejection. The aroma of wines is influenced by several different compounds, originated from grapes or resulting from winemaking, ageing and storage. These compounds act as a fingerprint of each type of wine. Its winemaking can include a peculiar maturation process, a heating step known as estufagem. This step consists of heating the fortified wine to about 45 °C, for at least 3 months. A premature ageing takes place along with heating, being acquired some of the aroma characteristics considered typical of the finest Madeiras (older wines only matured in oak casks for several years)
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