Evaluation of French and New Zealand Sauvignon wines by experienced French wine assessors

Certain odours are commonly associated with the bouquet of Sauvignon blanc wine. These characteristic varietal odours can vary to reflect origin of a Sauvignon blanc wine. In the present study, Sauvignon blanc wines from sub-regions of Marlborough, New Zealand, and from north France (Sancerre, Loire, and Saint Bris) were investigated in terms of (i) distinctiveness of country of origin, (ii) odour profile, and (iii) the concept of typicality (Ballester, J., Dacremont, C., Le Fur, Y., & Etievant, P. (2005). The role of olfaction in the elaboration and use of the Chardonnay wine concept. Food Quality and Preference, 16, 351-359). Twenty-three experienced French wine tasters (12 Oenology students and 11 Flavour Panellists), with no prior experience of Marlborough Sauvignon blanc wine, evaluated six French and six Marlborough Sauvignon blanc wines by ortho-nasal olfaction. A range of tasks was employed including descriptive profiling and sorting into categories based on origin of wine. The data were subjected to multivariate analyses. Principal components analysis of descriptive data showed that (i) wines were separable by country of origin (NZ or France), and (ii) clear sub-regional differences in perceived odour profile were reported for French wines, and to a lesser degree for New Zealand wines. Overall, New Zealand wines were evaluated as showing higher levels of both fruity (e.g., passionfruit) and fresh green notes (e.g., green capsicum), while French wines were judged higher on dried herbaceous characters and mineral/flinty notes. Contrary to expectation, the French participants rated New Zealand wines higher on the concept of typicality and higher on appreciation than the French wines. The results are discussed in terms of cognitive processing relevant to conceptualisation of wine typicality.