Analytical and Chemometric Characterization of Sweet Pedro Ximénez Sherry Wine during Its Aging in a <i>Criaderas y Solera</i> System
Manuel J. Valcárcel-Muñoz,
María Guerrero-Chanivet,
María del Carmen Rodríguez-Dodero,
Daniel Butrón-Benítez,
María de Valme García-Moreno,
Dominico A. Guillén-Sánchez
Affiliations
Manuel J. Valcárcel-Muñoz
Bodegas Fundador S.L.U., C/San Ildefonso, n 3, 11403 Jerez de la Frontera, Spain
María Guerrero-Chanivet
Bodegas Fundador S.L.U., C/San Ildefonso, n 3, 11403 Jerez de la Frontera, Spain
María del Carmen Rodríguez-Dodero
Departamento de Química Analítica, Facultad de Ciencias, Instituto Investigación Vitivinícola y Agroalimentaria (IVAGRO), Campus Universitario de Puerto Real, Universidad de Cádiz, 11510 Puerto Real, Spain
Daniel Butrón-Benítez
Bodegas Fundador S.L.U., C/San Ildefonso, n 3, 11403 Jerez de la Frontera, Spain
María de Valme García-Moreno
Departamento de Química Analítica, Facultad de Ciencias, Instituto Investigación Vitivinícola y Agroalimentaria (IVAGRO), Campus Universitario de Puerto Real, Universidad de Cádiz, 11510 Puerto Real, Spain
Dominico A. Guillén-Sánchez
Departamento de Química Analítica, Facultad de Ciencias, Instituto Investigación Vitivinícola y Agroalimentaria (IVAGRO), Campus Universitario de Puerto Real, Universidad de Cádiz, 11510 Puerto Real, Spain
Pedro Ximénez is a naturally sweet sherry wine produced in southern Spain from raisined Pedro Ximénez grape must and aged using a traditional Criaderas y Solera system. Complete analytical characterization has been useful in determining which parameters are the most influential in the aging of this wine. The organic acids, volatile compounds (higher alcohols, esters, aldehydes, and acetals), and phenolic compounds of this wine evolve during its aging, mainly through physico-chemical reactions and the contributions of wood compounds. During their aging, Pedro Ximénez sherry wines develop their organoleptic profiles, as tasting sessions have confirmed. A strong correlation between the aging of a wine and the parameters analyzed has also been corroborated through an MLR analysis. This allowed for the development of a model that, by using just 8 of the variables considered in the study, led to the determination of wine samples’ ages at over 97% confidence. This constitutes a rather useful tool for wineries to control Pedro Ximénez sherry wine aging processes.
