Vinification effects on the sensory, colour and GC profiles of Pinot noir wines from British Columbia

Analytical and sensory profiles were obtained for Pinot noir wines fermented with two yeasts (Lalvin EC-1118, P; Lalvin L-2056, L) and four vinification techniques: high (T), ambient, cold and modified-cold temperature (M) fermentations. Wines were analysed for titratable acidity, pH, ethanol, colour, total phenolics, flavonols, tartaric esters, anthocyanins and volatile constituents. Sensory descriptive analysis was conducted using 12 judges to evaluate colour, aroma, flavour, body and overall quality. Wines from the M vinification had the most red colour, body, tropical fruit and spicy aromas and had the least vegetal character. Wines from the T vinification were the most vegetal. Increased ester concentration (mainly acetates) and total volatile compounds were found in wines from the M vinification with yeast P in comparison to the other vinification methods and yeast L. Principal component analyses distinguished four distinct groups of wines based on 33 main volatile constituents. Partial least square regressions revealed strong relationships between sensory and instrumental colour measurements in terms of red colour intensity (r=0.88) and red hue (r=0.87). Crown Copyright (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.