Analytical strategies for Sr and Pb isotopic signatures by MC-ICP-MS applied to the authentication of Champagne and other sparkling wines

Robin Cellier; Sylvain Berail; Julien Barre; Ekaterina Epova; Fanny Claverie; Anne-Laure Ronzani; Stanislas Milcent; Patrick Ors; Olivier F X Donard

doi:10.1016/j.talanta.2021.122433

Analytical strategies for Sr and Pb isotopic signatures by MC-ICP-MS applied to the authentication of Champagne and other sparkling wines

Talanta. 2021 Nov 1:234:122433. doi: 10.1016/j.talanta.2021.122433. Epub 2021 May 3.

Authors

Robin Cellier¹, Sylvain Berail², Julien Barre³, Ekaterina Epova³, Fanny Claverie², Anne-Laure Ronzani², Stanislas Milcent⁴, Patrick Ors⁴, Olivier F X Donard⁵

Affiliations

¹ Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physicochimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux, UMR CNRS 5254, Hélioparc, 2 Avenue P. Angot, 64053, Pau, France; MHCS, 20 Avenue de Champagne, 51200, Epernay, France.
² Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physicochimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux, UMR CNRS 5254, Hélioparc, 2 Avenue P. Angot, 64053, Pau, France.
³ Advanced Isotopic Analysis, Hélioparc, 2 Avenue P. Angot, 64053, Pau, France.
⁴ MHCS, 20 Avenue de Champagne, 51200, Epernay, France.
⁵ Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physicochimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux, UMR CNRS 5254, Hélioparc, 2 Avenue P. Angot, 64053, Pau, France; Advanced Isotopic Analysis, Hélioparc, 2 Avenue P. Angot, 64053, Pau, France. Electronic address: olivier.donard@univ-pau.fr.

PMID: 34364413
DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2021.122433

Abstract

Wine is one of the most counterfeit product and therefore, requires certifying of its origin and provenance. For authentication purposes, analytical strategies for the determination of Sr and Pb isotopic ratios were adapted for Champagne and sparkling wines. All analytical steps have been carefully adapted and optimized regarding sample preparation, mineralization, and purification by resins as well as isotopic composition measurements on 3 different MC ICP-MS instruments. Further, a global approach using an "in-house" reference material of Champagne (ChRM) was realized and used throughout as well as routine analytical conditions to guaranty samples isotopic quality determination over 3 years. These developments allowed to select the best conditions at all steps for reaching the best precision and accuracy to be used under routine conditions for samples origin discrimination. The best condition of mineralization was obtained with a hot block system allowing both efficiency in digestion and high sample throughput. Detailed conditions of purification for both Sr and Pb isotopes were also optimized and discussed. These different optimization steps on the whole analytical chain allowed to estimate a global precision suitable to be used routinely to discriminate the origin of different Champagne samples. For Sr isotopic analysis (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr), the overall external precision based on preparation replicates of ChRM was 2σ = 0.000024 (n = 36) and for the Pb isotopes analysis (²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁶Pb), the precision obtained on ChRM was 2σ = 0.0024 (n = 15). Finally, we have applied these developments by combining both Sr and Pb isotopic ratios in order to discriminate the origin of sparkling wines from around the world. The combined isotopic signature, using both Sr and Pb isotopes ratios, permitted a clear discrimination between certified Champagne wines and other European and Non-European sparkling wines.

Keywords: Champagne authenticity; Sample preparation; Sr and Pb isotopic Signatures; Traceability.

MeSH terms

Isotopes / analysis
Lead
Spectrum Analysis
Wine* / analysis

Substances

Isotopes
Lead