Characterization of phenolics in Lacrima di Morro d'Alba wine and role on its sensory attributes

Lacrima di Morro d'Alba is a red DOC (controlled designation of origin) wine, which is produced in the region of Marche (Italy) using the homonymous grape cultivar of Vitis vinifera. Lacrima di Morro contains the diglucosides of malvidin, petunidin, peonidin, whereas cyanidin and its derivatives were not detected with high performance liquid chromatography coupled with an ion trap mass spectrometer. Among anthocyanins, only the coumaroyl derivatives of peonidin and petunidin were positively related to copigmentation and color intensity, unlike malvidin-3-coumarylglucoside. Tannins (ranging only from less than 50-224 mg/L) and large polymeric pigments were indifferent with regard to copigmentation, whereas gallic acid and quercetin were the non-pigmented phenolics positively related to copigmentation and color intensity. (+)-catechin was related with a brown, oxidized hue and with non-copigmented anthocyanins. Copigmentation was positively related to the sour taste of the wine, but was negatively related to the astringent taste.