Impact of Harvest, Extended Maceration, and Alcohol on Sensory Profiles of Cabernet Sauvignon Wines

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of harvest time, alcohol adjustments, and maceration time on Cabernet Sauvignon wines’ sensory profiles and polysaccharide content and composition. For achieving that, grapes were harvested at three different maturities and for each of them, the alcohol was adjusted to three different concentrations (~11%, 14%, and 16.5%). In addition, wine was macerated for either 10 days or 8 months (a maceration length not previously studied). As a result of this design, 54 wines were produced (3 harvests × 3 alcohol contents × 2 maceration treatments, in triplicate). Maceration and alcohol were the most relevant factors for explaining the sensory differences in the wine, considering aromas, taste, and mouthfeel perception. Descriptive sensory analysis of the wines revealed that astringency is better predicted using protein-precipitable tannins (0.98) and tannin galloylation (0.86) than tannin size (−0.61). The polysaccharide content did not show a correlation with mouthfeel sensory descriptors. Pectic polysaccharides were found in a higher concentration in the EM wines with low and medium alcohol. The harvest, maceration, and alcohol did not present clear effects on the rest of the polysaccharide types or overall content.