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We investigated perception of mouthfeel in Pinot noir wines and its physicochemical determinants. Seventeen wine professionals judged 18 Pinot noir wines via two tasting tasks, Descriptive Rating and Directed Sorting, the latter based on perception of in-mouth attributes. Selected chemical measures of the same 18 wines were determined. Sensory results demonstrated that mouthfeel attributes driving high quality were smoothness/silky/velvety, volume/fullness/roundness, overall body, and viscosity/mouth-coating, while the taste of bitterness and perceived tannin harshness drove low quality judgments. Perceived astringency and expressions of tannin (e.g., soft; harsh; fine) drove sorting behaviour of participants. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) was used to associate perceived in-mouth phenomena and chemical composition. The phenolic profile, in particular tannin concentration and structure, was the most important predictor of astringency and its sub-components. These results have important implications for wine producers aiming to enhance perceived quality in their Pinot noir wines., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Quality and complexity are abstract terms employed frequently to describe a wine's overall attributes. In the present study, we investigated: (i) attributes driving wine professionals' judgments of quality and complexity in Pinot noir wines; (ii) the relation between these two abstract concepts; and (iii) association of each concept with varietal typicality. Twenty-two wine professionals evaluated 18 New Zealand Pinot noir wines in both clear and opaque glassware via two sensory tasks, a descriptive rating task and an 8-attribute, perceived complexity questionnaire. Sensory data were associated with wine UV-spectrophotometry colour measures to aid interpretation of the influence of tasting-glass colour. Results demonstrated the key drivers of perceived quality were descriptors varietal typicality, expressiveness, overall structure, and attractive fruit aromatics, along with complexity questionnaire attributes of harmony, balance and number of identifiable flavours. Reductive notes drove low-quality judgments. Data show that quality and complexity were positively associated concepts and that both were linked positively with varietal typicality. Visual influence was not a major driver of wine professionals' judgments but being able to see a wine's colour influenced tasters' judgments to wines at each end of the price/quality spectrum. We discuss the results in terms of cognitive phenomena associated with judgments by those with domain-specific expertise., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The study aimed to determine the relationship between perceived mineral character in wine and wine chemical composition. We investigated the sensory properties and chemical composition of sauvignon blanc wines from two major sauvignon-producing countries, New Zealand and France. Sensory experiments employing 16 wines (8 French, 8 New Zealand) were conducted in Marlborough, New Zealand and in three regions of France, namely Bordeaux, Burgundy, and the Sancerre/Loire region. Wine professionals (31 New Zealanders and 32 French professionals) sensorially characterised the 16 wines under three conditions, bouquet only (ortho-nasal olfaction), palate only (nose clip condition), and full tasting (global condition: ortho-nasal olfaction, retronasal olfaction, taste, trigeminal stimulation). Sensory data from the global condition only are reported in this article. Physical and chemical analyses conducted on all wines included wine standard parameters, elemental composition, volatile aroma composition, and measures of organic acids. Major results demonstrate that (i) on average French and New Zealand wines were perceived similarly in intensity of mineral character, although judgments to individual wines differed as a function of participant culture; (ii) French and NZ participants drew on different information to make their sensory judgments; and (iii) several aspects of wine composition associated positively with perception of mineral character while others associated negatively, the significant associations differing as a function of participant culture., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)