GC-olfactometry and descriptive sensory analysis in the study of clonal red wines

the aroma profiles of five distinct clonal red wines from aragonez vitis vinifera l. cultivar were studied by gas chromatography-olfactometry (gc-o) and descriptive sensory analysis. thirty-two odourant peaks were perceived by the sniffers in at least one of the five clonal wine extracts according to the gc-o posterior intensity method and twenty-nine odourant compounds were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (gc-ms). the 3-methylbutanoic acid, 2-phenylethanol, 4-vinylguaiacol, furaneol, and homofuraneol were the highest average intensity odourant compounds in all clonal wines. principal component analysis permitted the establishment of a relationship between the different odourant compound variables and the wines, as well as between the aroma descriptors and the wines. furthermore, a multiple linear regression model (68.9% explained variance) with a vector grouping 7 odourant compounds associated with aroma defects and a second vector grouping 13 compounds with fruity-sweet descriptors was found. the differentiation of the five clonal wines achieved by gc-o and descriptive sensory analysis revealed that these analyses are complementary.