Aromatic maturity is a cornerstone of terroir expression in red wine

Abstract

Harvesting grapes at adequate maturity is key to the production of high-quality red wines. Viticulturists, enologists, and wine makers define several types of maturity, including physiological maturity, technological maturity, phenolic maturity, and aromatic maturity. Physiological maturity is a biological concept. Technological maturity and phenolic maturity are relatively well documented in the scientific literature, being linked to quantifiable compounds in grape must. Articles on aromatic maturity are scarcer. This is surprising, because aromatic maturity is, probably, the most important of the four in determining wine quality and typicity, including terroir expression, i.e. the identifiable taste of wine in relation to its origin. Optimal terroir expression can be obtained when technological, phenolic, and aromatic maturity are reached at the same time, or within a short time frame. This is more likely to occur when the ripening takes place under mild temperatures, neither too cool, nor too hot.Aromatic expression in wine can be driven, in order from low to high maturity, by green, herbal, spicy, floral, fresh fruit, ripe fruit, jammy fruit, dried fruit, candied, or cooked fruit aromas. Green and cooked fruit aromas are not desirable in red wines, while the levels of other aromatic nuances contribute to the typicity of the wine in relation to its place of origin. Wines produced in cool climates, or on cool soils in temperate climates, are likely to express herbal or fresh fruit aromas, while wines produced under warm climates, or on warm soils in temperate climates, may express ripe fruit, jammy fruit, or candied fruit aromas.This article reviews the state of the art of compounds underpinning the aromas of wines obtained from grapes harvested at different stages of maturity. Advances in the understanding of how aromatic maturity shapes terroir expression and how it can be manipulated by variety choices and management practices, under current and future climatic conditions, are shown. Early ripening varieties perform better in cool climates and late ripening varieties in warm climates. Additionally, maturity can be advanced or delayed by different canopy management practices or training systems. Timing of harvest also impacts aromatic expression of the produced wine. Gaps in the literature are highlighted to guide future directions of research.

Non‐linear loss of suitable wine regions over Europe in response to increasing global warming

“…Climatic suitability for premium wine production is here defined by conditions under which the winemaking is environmentally and economically sustainable. This implies that the fruits reach their maturity under certain external conditions that can fully favour the wine quality potential, that is when grape berry technological ripeness (Carbonneau et al, 1998 ), phenolic ripeness (Kennedy et al, 2006 ) and aromatic ripeness (Noble et al, 1984 ; van Leeuwen et al, 2022 ) are reached in short time frame (van Leeuwen & Seguin, 2006 ). Quality and typicity are among the main sources of consumer's willingness to pay, resulting in added value in wine production (Tempere et al, 2019 ), thus compensating the production and vineyard management costs.…”

“…Among them, temperature is arguably the most important factor, as it influences grapevine phenology by determining its development, from budbreak to fruit maturity (Jones & Alves, 2012 ), as well as affecting vine physiology and fruit metabolism/composition (Coombe, 1987 ). The timing of the growing stages and phenophases intervals are critical aspects in achieving an optimal ripening with a balanced level of sugars and acids in the berry (van Leeuwen et al, 2019 ) and an optimal development of the flavour components (van Leeuwen et al, 2022 ). For a given grapevine variety in the Northern Hemisphere, it has been shown that, for present‐day conditions, full ripeness should ideally be reached between approximately September 10 and the October 10 (van Leeuwen & Seguin, 2006 ), when fruits can be harvested under relatively mild climate conditions, thus favouring the highest possible wine quality potential.…”

Influence of Potential Alcohol in Grapes on Phenolic and Sensory Characteristics of Red Wine

“…6 Accordingly, other concepts, besides sugar maturity, exist to describe grape maturity: physiological maturity, technological maturity, aroma maturity, and phenolic maturity. 7 Some of these concepts are better defined than others. The original definition of phenolic maturity was given by Glories considering it is optimal when the anthocyanin concentration in the skins reaches a maximum and seed tannin concentration has decreased from veraison.…”

Development of a New Method for the Quantitative Analysis of Aroma Compounds Potentially Related to the Fruity Aroma of Red Wines

“…3 A recent study has shown that the fruity aroma of red wines is highly diverse, comprising a wide range of descriptors, from fresh fruit, ripe fruit, and jammy fruit to cooked fruit and oxidized prune. 4 Many enological studies on white wines have proved that varietal compounds are involved in their specific aromas. For example, some monoterpenols, which are generally present in grapes in free or conjugated forms, such as linalool, geraniol, and nerol, contribute to the floral and muscat-like aroma in Muscat wines, 5 while the aroma of Sauvignon Blanc can be partly explained by volatile thiols.…”

“…In the literature, red wine aroma is often described using fruity olfactory descriptors, such as fresh red- and black-berry fruit and jammy red- and black-berry fruit notes. , The fruity character of a given wine is related to the selected grape variety, the terroir, and the vinification process applied in its production . A recent study has shown that the fruity aroma of red wines is highly diverse, comprising a wide range of descriptors, from fresh fruit, ripe fruit, and jammy fruit to cooked fruit and oxidized prune …”