The development of an aromatic bouquet during fine wine aging depends on complex transformations occurring in a reductive atmosphere, favorable to the formation and preservation of sulfur odorants, such as dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and polyfunctional thiols. The aim of this study was to address their role in the occurrence, evolution, and perceived sensory nuances of the aging bouquet of red Bordeaux wines. These compounds were quantified in 24 wines and scored by a professional wine panel for the degree to which they reflected the aging bouquet olfactory concept. Partial least square (PLS) analysis, combining sensory and quantitative chemical data, predicted that DMS, 2-furanmethanethiol, and 3-sulfanylhexanol concentrations correlated with the typicality score, discriminating highly-typical wines from less-typical ones. Several vintages from three vineyards were then subjected to sensory and chemical analysis to determine how aging bouquet typicality and the intensity of five key aromatic notes (undergrowth, truffle, fresh fruit, toasted, and empyreumatic) evolved during bottle storage in relation to these three sulfur odorants. PCA analysis emphasized their combined impact on aging bouquet typicality and their contribution to undergrowth, truffle, and empyreumatic attributes.
Keywords: aging bouquet; dimethyl sulfide; polyfunctional thiols; red Bordeaux wines.