Characterization of impact odorants and sensory profile of Bobal red wines from Spain's La Mancha region

Although the Bobal red grape variety is grown mainly in the Valencia region of Spain, there is also limited production in certain areas of the La Mancha region. Bobal red wines of five consecutive vintages, produced in the La Mancha region, were evaluated by sensory descriptive analysis using a panel of 15 trained assessors. Wines were obtained in standardized conditions and were not aged. Panellists scored the intensity of each attribute using a non-structured scale. Principal component analysis performed on sensory data showed that these wines were characterized by blackcurrant, green pepper, smoke, redcurrant, cut hay, vanilla and cinnamon aromas. Odour activity values for the various compounds in Bobal wines were classified into seven odorant series describing the aroma profile (1: fruity, 2: floral, 3: green/fresh, 4: sweet, 5: spice, 6: fatty, and 7: other odours). Total intensities for each odorant series were calculated as the sum of the odour activity value for each compound assigned to that series. The fruity and sweet series were found to contribute most to the aroma profile of Bobal wines. Copyright (C) 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.