Impact of oak barrel aging on the quality of dry red wine from Shacheng production area

The original dry red wines were prepared using Cabernet Sauvignon (CXZ), Marselan (MSL), Syrah (XL) and Petit Verdot (XWD) grapes from the Shacheng production area as raw materials. The changes of the physicochemical indexes and sensory quality of the 4 original wines during the 7 months of aging process in Sylvain (XW), World Cooperage (HQ) and Murua (ML) oak barrels were compared and analyzed. The results showed that the aging time of oak barrels had a significant impact on the alcohol content, pH, total acidity and dry extract content of original dry red wine (P<0.05). The looser the oak boards and the higher the degree of toasting, the greater the increase in volatile acid content of original wine. The lower the total acidity content and the higher the volatile acidity before entering the oak barrels, the greater the increase in volatile acidity content of the original wine during ageing. The oak barrel types and aging time also had a significant impact on the sensory quality of original dry red wine. Taking Marselan dry red wine as an example, the fruity aroma score of the original wine after being put into the oak barrel continued to decline, and the decline was concentrated from aging for 4 to 7 months; the floral fragrance score was highest at 4 months of aging and significantly decreased at 7 months of aging; the scores of baking aroma, spice aroma, wine body and tannins all continued to rise with the extension of aging time, with the rise of spice aroma concentrated from aging for 0 to 4 months. When aged for 7 months, the spice aroma score of Sylvain barrel was higher than that of World Cooperage and Murua barrels, baking aroma score was the opposite; the tannin scores from high to low were Murua barrel, World Cooperage barrel, and Sylvain barrel, while the wine body score was the opposite. After 7 months of aging, wine samples aged in Marselan barrel from the three oak barrels had the optimal overall sensory quality and the highest average sensory evaluation score.