Effect of the type of oak barrels employed during ageing on the ellagitannin profile of wines

Abstract

Background and Aims: Ellagitannins released from wood to wine during barrel ageing can affect wine colour and astringency. This work aimed to examine the influence that oak wood type (French or American) and age (first-fill or second-fill) of barrels has on the concentration of individual ellagitannins and their evolution during winemaking and ageing. Methods and Results: The ellagitannin composition of red wines during ageing was determined by HPLC-MS/MS-multiple reaction monitoring. Differences in the extractability and stability of the individual ellagitannins were observed. Moreover, the ellagitannin composition of wines was determined by the type of barrel. Wines aged in new French oak barrels showed a concentration of ellagitannin about twofold higher than that aged in American or in second-fill French ones. The vescalagin/castalagin ratio was higher in wines aged in French oak barrels than that in wines aged in American barrels. Wine samples were grouped by discriminant analysis into three groups depending on the type of barrel employed during ageing. Conclusions: The ellagitannin profile of aged red wines is strongly influenced by the type of oak barrel employed. Wines aged in new French oak barrels can be differentiated from those aged in second-fill French or in new American oak barrels by the ellagitannin concentration, whereas the vescalagin/castalagin ratio may assist in tracing the oak type (French or American) of the barrels. Significance of the Study: The ellagitannin concentration along with the vescalagin/castalagin ratio in red wines aged in oak barrels can be employed for tracing the oak type of the barrels.

Evolution of the Phenolic Fraction and Aromatic Profile of Red Wines Aged in Oak Barrels

“…Regarding the TPI, there was a progressive increase throughout the aging for all wines (Figure 1b). This is due to the transfer of ellagitannins 23 from oak wood, and these tannins are derived from galloyl units esterified to a sugar core. 24 Once the aging period was over, significant differences were found between AF, TB, Sylvain Reśerve (SR), and STP barrels.…”

Ellagitannins and Flavano-Ellagitannins: Red Wines Tendency in Different Areas, Barrel Origin and Ageing Time in Barrel and Bottle

“…Several factors as the oak species ( Quercus robur L., Quercus petraea Liebl . ), the geographical origin [11,12,13], the age [14], the topography [15,16] and the geographic location of the wood piece in the trees [14,17] as well as the processing of wood in cooperage such as the type and duration of seasoning and toasting [18,19,20,21] can influence the content of the ellagitannins in oak wood [9]. Moreover, the age of the barrels is also important, since it has been reported that the levels of extracted ellagitannins are much lower in old barrels [22,23].…”

Interaction between Ellagitannins and Salivary Proline-Rich Proteins

“…The glucopyranosic ellagitannins are another subclass of hydrolyzable tannins, such as punicalagin that occurs in pomegranates. All these ellagitannins may be present in (alcoholic) beverages, such as wine and fruit juices produced from red grapes or from pomegranate. , Punicalagin can occur in beverages due to its presence in pomegranates, while castalagin and vescalagin can occur only in wines that are aged in oak barrels or that are macerated with oak slaves or chips due to their extraction from wood by the alcoholic solution − or even when some commercial tannins from oak or chestnut are added to these beverages. The presence of these ellagitannins in beverages is important because they can affect the chemical profile, evolution and, at the end, organoleptic properties of the beverage.…”