Monoterpenic and norisoprenoidic glycoconjugates of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Melon B. as precursors of odorants in Muscadet wines

The volatile monoterpenic and norisoprenoidic compounds released by glycosidase enzyme hydrolysis of C18 reversed-phase isolates from the juice of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Melon B. have been qualitatively and quantitatively determined using GC–MS and GC–FID. The components analyzed were broadly similar to those previously reported for other varieties but the level of bound p-menth-1-en-7,8-diol was higher in this cultivar. Then the monoterpenic and norisoprenoidic volatiles released from the same glycosidic extracts under mild acid conditions, mimicking wine aging conditions, have been analyzed using GC–Olfactometry and GC–MS. The most odorous compounds detected were p-cymene, terpinen-4-ol, cis- and trans-vitispiranes, 1,6,6-trimethyl-1,2-dihydronaphtalene (TDN), β-damascenone and riesling acetal. To assess their potential levels in corresponding wines after ageing, most of these odorants were generated by harsh acid hydrolysis from the precursors extracts and quantitatively determined using SPME and GC–MS/MS. For the development and application of this analysis, the odorants not commercialy available were synthesized. The total amounts of norisoprenoidic odorants generated by acid hydrolysis of the glycosidic extracts were shown to be proportional to the total amounts of these precursors.