The relationship between sensory attributes and wine composition for Australian Cabernet Sauvignon wines

Background and Aims: The study explores the diversity in sensory characteristics of Cabernet Sauvignon wines from Australia and analyses the relationship between sensory attributes and wine composition. Methods and Results: Descriptive sensory analysis was conducted by eighteen panelists who rated the intensity of 16 aroma attributes and four taste attributes. Sensory results indicated that 15 of the 20 sensory attributes assessed were significantly different among the wines assessed. The primary differentiation was between wines that were fruity and those that exhibited vegetal and herbaceous characteristics. A recently developed analytical method (headspace solid-phase microextraction comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry) was used to analyse over 350 volatile compounds in the wines assessed. Other measures of the major non-volatile components including ethanol, phenolics, acids and sugars were also determined. Compositional results were used to predict each sensory attribute using partial least squares regression and showed that each sensory attribute could be well explained by the compositional results. Conclusions: The results of this study further demonstrate that the sensory perception of wine is complex and involves the interaction of both volatile and non-volatile components. The use of a recently developed analytical technique allows the researcher greater capacity to explore complex relationships between wine sensory characteristics and wine composition. Significance of the Study: The study increases the understanding of commercial wine composition and identifies a number of candidate components that are correlated with sensory attributes of Cabernet Sauvignon wines from Australia.