Aroma characterization of Chinese Hutai-8 wines: Comparing with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon wines

Hutai-8 is a new selected grape variety that has been widely cultivated in several provinces of China. Recent years, it has been utilized for the production of wine and ice wine on a small scale. The chemical and sensory characteristics of the Hutai-8 (HT) wine aroma were evaluated by comparing with the varietal wines of Merlot (ML) and Cabernet Sauvignon (CS) in successive years, 2013 and 2014. Solid-phase microextraction with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (SPME–GC/MS) was used for qualitative and quantitative analysis of aroma compounds. A total of 51 compounds were identified and quantified, among which 33 and 27 compounds were detected in HT wines of 2013 and 2014, respectively. The new HT wine owns less volatile compounds than that of ML and CS wines, while the one-year aged HT owns more than ML and CS wines. And the total volatiles concentrations in HT wines were significantly lower than the other two wines. Besides, the predominant volatiles in HT wines were esters and fatty acids, which took much more percentages of the total than that in ML and CS wines. The principal component analysis (PCA) well differentiated the HT wines from the others. Additionally, less odor active volatiles are detected in the HT wines and the result coincided with the less complexity of aroma sensory profiles. Furthermore, the highlighted characteristic aromas of HT wines were fruity and floral.