Magnitude and Interaction of Viticultural and Enological Effects. I. Impact of Canopy Management and Yeast Strain on Sensory and Chemical Composition of Chardonnay Musqué

Abstract

Chardonnay Musqué vines in Ontario were subjected to hedging (control), basal leaf removal (BLR), or cluster thinning (CT) over a 3-year period. Musts from each treatment were combined in a factorial treatment arrangement with yeast strains VL1, EC1118, and EC1118 + enzyme preparation AR2000. Yield was reduced by 21 to 36% by CT as a result of cluster removal. Fruit maturity was advanced by BLR and CT in reduced berry, must, and wine titratable acidity (TA); increased berry and must pH and Brix; increased must and wine free volatile terpenes (FVT) (CT only); and increased berry, must, and wine potentially volatile terpenes (PVT). VL1 wines were lower in pH and both FVT and PVT (1 of 3 years) than those of EC1118 and had higher TA (1 of 3 years). EC1118 + AR2000 wines did not differ from wines produced solely with EC1118 in terms of TA and FVT but were higher in PVT and pH. CT wines differed from BLR and control wines sensorially, with increased depth of color, higher sweetness and herbaceous/grassy aroma, and reduced tropical fruit aroma. BLR wines had higher tropical fruit and floral aromas, while control wines had greater acidity. Principal component analysis of sensory data suggested that variation in wine sensory profiles was due to both viticultural and enological practices.