Effect of Two Commercial Malolactic Cultures on the Chemical and Sensory Properties of Chancellor Wines Vinified with Different Yeasts and Fermentation Temperatures

Chancellor grapes were vinified with Saccharomyces bayanus strains RC 212 or Montrachet at 15°C and 25°C. Malolactic fermentation (MLF) in wines from each treatment was initiated post-vinification by inoculation with two commercial malolactic (ML) starter cultures (Inobacter and X3) to assess the effect of individual starters on the chemical and sensory properties of the wines. Volatile esters, aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, acids, and sulfur-containing compounds were identified and quantified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Concentrations of several individual compounds were influenced by the ML cultures. Fermentation temperature, ML culture, and yeast strain, acting independently or interacting together, also influenced the development of distinct volatile compounds. In contrast, differences in the intensity of aroma and flavor attributes, when present, could only be ascribed to ML culture, yeast strain, or fermentation temperature interacting together. Higher wine color intensity and citric acid content were measured in wines fermented with ML culture X3. The development of unique or distinct aromas and flavors in Chancellor wines that have undergone MLF is a consequence of complex interactions between metabolites derived from both bacteria and yeast.