Aroma characterization of predicate wines from Croatia

Predicate wines are sweet natural wines that in good years and appropriate conditions of ripening grapes on the vine, their degree of overripe and time of harvest, achieve a special quality. The aroma compounds of predicate wines from Croatia have not yet been studied. The predicate commercial wines (selected harvest wines and ice wines) of four different grape cultivars (‘Welschriesling’, ‘Kerner’, ‘Gewurztraminer’, ‘Chardonnay’) more than 10 years old were examined by GC–MS. Aroma compounds were extracted by solid-phase extraction. The results show that during ageing, sotolon and furfural concentrations are increased. Generally, higher concentrations of 1-octen-3-ol were noticed in selected harvest wines what may be connected with the metabolic activity of Botrytis cinerea. Linalool, β-damascenone, α-ionone, β-ionone, γ-nonalactone, sotolon, cis-rose oxide and 1-octen-3-ol had the greatest contribution to the overall aroma composition (odour activity value OAV ˃1). These results increase the understanding of aroma composition and the influence of ageing on selected harvest white wines and ice wines.