“…Several studies have, therefore, sought to establish the optimal duration of bottle ageing to enhance product quality. Most studies of sparkling wine autolysis have involved relatively short ageing times (Moreno‐Arribas et al 1996, 1998, Riu‐Aumatell et al 2006, Vanrell et al 2007, Cilindre et al 2010, Vichi et al 2010, Martínez‐Lapuente et al 2013, 2015, 2017, Esteruelas et al 2015) and, to our knowledge, only a few have comprised longer periods of ageing (Loyaux et al 1981, Leroy et al 1990, Charpentier et al 2005, Pons‐Mercadé et al 2021). In this study, we analysed changes in the colour, polysaccharides, proteins, foaming properties and sensory quality of AOC Cava sparkling wines with ageing times ranging from 1 to 9 years, which we believe to be the longest duration of bottle age studied in relation to AOC Cava sparkling wines.…”