Study of Mileștii Mici wine cellar aged red wines quality and sensory profile

Abstract

Global warming impacts widely the changes in the physicochemical characteristics of grapes, as well as the sensory quality and shelf life of wines. For red grapes, apart from sugar content increase and loss of acidity which leads to pH increase, a decrease of anthocyanin content is also observed. The variations in pH and anthocyans have a great impact on the color of young red wines, as well as their evolution during aging. This study focused on evaluation of physico-chemical and sensory characteristics of aged red wines from the underground wine cellar Mileștii Mici, famous for preserving and aging high-quality wines. The wines subjected to analysis were selected as follows: Cabernet Sauvignon 1987 vintage, Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 vintage, Negru de Mileștii Mici 1986 vintage – one of the emblematic wines of Mileștii Mici. The physico-chemical and quality indices (alcohol content, total and volatile acidity, total and non-reducing extract, phenolic compounds and color intensity) of the studied wines were established by modern analysis methods recommended in the national and international OIV standards. The sensory evaluation was conducted by a panel of experts using a 100-point scoring system. The physico-chemical analysis revealed significant variations among the analyzed samples, influenced by the grape variety, harvest year and aging period. The alcohol content ranged between 12.5% and 14.2% vol., while the total acidity varied between 4.8 and 5.6 g/L tartaric acid. Anthocyanin and polyphenol concentrations were higher in older samples, indicating a more complex phenolic structure and increased color stability. Color intensity was more pronounced in Cabernet Sauvignon 1987 and Negru de Mileștii Mici 1986, confirming the evolution of color-related compounds during aging.