Monitoring of Sangiovese Red Wine Chemical and Sensory Parameters along One-Year Aging in Different Tank Materials and Glass Bottle

The aim of this research was to study how different tank materials affected the chemical composition and the sensory profile of a red wine during aging. For this purpose, a single varietal Sangiovese wine was aged at the same time by using different tank materials including stainless steel, epoxy-coated concrete, uncoated concrete, earthenware raw amphorae, and new and used oak barrels. Phenolic and volatile compounds, elemental content, tartaric stability, and sensory discriminant attributes of Sangiovese wine from the 2018 harvest were measured after 6 and 12 months of aging in tanks and 6 months in glass bottle (after the aging of 6 months carried out in each relevant container). The results showed that the different tanks significantly differentiated the wines on the base of all the chemical and sensory parameters considered. In particular, wines aged in earthenware raw amphorae and uncoated concrete registered a high content of polymeric pigments as the wine aged in the new oak barrel, resulting in materials that better promote the wine color stabilization. The same wines also showed the highest pH and tartaric stability, mostly likely related to the observed release of inorganic compounds from the tank material. Moreover, bottle aging enhanced the chemical and sensory differences between all the wines: they were characterized by a higher content of varietal volatiles such as norisoprenoids and terpenes, probably due to the reductive conditions in the bottle. The bottle also affected the perceived quality of the wines aged in concrete (uncoated and epoxy-coated) associated to the floral flavor, floral odor, sweetness attributes, and, to a lesser extent, acidity, while the ones aged in stainless steel and amphorae is associated to the berry jam odor.