La maturazione dei vini in botti di rovere determina nel prodotto un complesso mix di sfumature organolettiche che ricordano cocco, legno, vaniglia, spezie e tostato. Centinaia di composti volatili derivanti dal legno di quercia sono stati identificati nelle bevande alcoliche invecchiate in botti e barrique e certamente uno dei focus degli ultimi anni della ricerca in campo enologico è stato proprio rappresentato dall’identificazione e quantificazione delle molecole aromatiche estratte durante questo processo. Vanillina (sentore di vaniglia), β-metil-γ-ottalattone (cocco), fenoli volatili (spezie) e 2-furanmentantiolo (tostato) sono considerati le molecole chiave associate all’invecchiamento in barrique, tonneau e botti e al trattamento con legni alternativi. Molte altre sostanze olfattivamente attive – originariamente presenti in quercia o che si sviluppano durante la tostatura – sono legate direttamente o indirettamente all’invecchiamento in legno di quercia, con conseguente incremento della complessità dei prodotti sottoposti a questo processo. Il vanilliltiolo, identificato per la prima volta in vino e in natura, responsabile di note speziate di chiodo di garofano, è presente in vino in quantità fortemente legate alla durata e alle modalità di maturazione in legno.
Per approfondire
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