STUDY ON THE ANTHOCYANIC COMPLEX IN BLACK GRAPES OF FRENCH

ORIGIN, CULTIVATED IN THE SOUTH OF DRAGASANI VINEYARD

Key words: vineyard, breed, grapes, anthocyanins, chromatic structure

SYNOPSIS

The South of Dragasani vineyard, where there are famous areas, such as:Dobruşa, Eforie-
Greaca, Dealul Banului etc., representing a high degree of favourability for the sustainable
viticulture and extraordinary quality including the breeds destined to obtaining the red wines.
In the areas of the South of Dragasani Vineyard, found under the direct influence of some
spread forestry massifs, of Olt River and Mamu, Dalga and Beica Creeks, there are the breeds: Noble
Grape of Burgundy, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot noir behave exceptionally under an
oenological relation. For the grapes of these breeds, besides the important proportions of glucides
and proper contents of acidity, considerable quantities of anthocyanins are also accumulated, the
phenyl compounds conferring the base feature and specificity of the red wines.

INTRODUCTION

The geographical and climatic elements of the Dragasani Vineyard as a whole

(table 1), which are very close to or even better than those specific to other famous
vineyards for quality red wines have formed an objective and especially sound reason,
which has been the basis in taking decisions regarding the enlargement in the great wine-
growing area and breeds with black grapes.
Table 1
Geographical and climatic elements of Dragasani Vineyard compared to other vineyards for
red wines (based on Teodorescu St. and coll., 1987).

Average T Precipitations Oenoclimatic

Vineyard N. Lat. Alt. m
per year, oC mm ability

Drăgăşani 4430 182 10.8 684 4757

Valea
4458 170 11.0 656 4724
Călugărească
Recaş 4547 140 10.6 636 4606

In the last decade, some researches performed in the central areas and even the
Southern ones on the theme of the technological potential of the brands, have greatly
confirmed the superior behaviour of the breeds for red wines in the South of Dragasani
Vineyard (Ionica Laura – 1006, Muntean Camelia, Ionica Laura – 2006, Nicolaescu C. –
2007).
Taking into account the importance the red wines have acquired, due to their
superior value under a hygienic-alimentary ratio, the studies have been lately amplified
concerning the anthocyanic colouring compound in the grapes of the black breeds of
French origin, whose partial results are the aim of this work here.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study has pointed the investigation of the anthocyanic potential of the breeds:
Noble Grape of Burgundy, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot noir.
The researches performed in the wine-growing years of 2005, 2006 and 2007 have
tried to: establish the contents of anthocyanins in grapes in full maturity, the phenyl
anthocyanic maturity and technological maturity; the extractability of the anthocyanins in
grapes and quantifying the proportion of extractable anthocyanins also known as the
technological reserve; the percentage participation of the three pigment categories (yellow,
red, blue); establishing the values of the chromatic attributes (colour intensity – I c; colour
tonality – Tc; Flavin cations – dA%), of the anthocyanic extracts, for the three phenophases
of maturation.
In order to determine the chromatic components of the anthocyanic compound,
advanced spectrophotometry methods were used, recommended by OIV. The participation
of the pigments was established by determining the optical densities: at 420nm for the
yellow component; at 520nm for the red component; at 620nm for the blue component. The
quantification of the chromatic attributions was accomplished by applying the following
formulae: Ic = Do 420 + Do 520 + Do 620 nm; Tc = Do 420/Do 520 nm;

RESULTS AND DEBATES

In table 2, there are mentioned the values of the anthocyanin contents in grapes,
the proportions of extractable anthocyanins and the technological reserves of colouring
matter that can reach the wine.
All these elements of chromatic order differ as levels depending on the breed, and
for the same breed, there are also differences recorded from one wine-growing year to
another.
Among the breeds, the richest one in anthocyanins is Cabernet Sauvignon and the
poorest one is Pinot noir and Merlot and Noble Burgundy occupy intermediate positions.
The proportions of extractable anthocyanins for all breeds are higher in the good
wine-growing years (e.g.: 2007) compared to those years with some problems of climatic
order (2005). The highest extractable anthocyanins proportions, in relation to the
anthocyanins contents in grapes belong to the Pinot noir brand (56.9%), and the lowest ones
belong to the noble Burgundy (49.03%).
Depending on the anthocyanins quantities stocked in grapes and their
extractability, the technological reserves order the breeds in a decreasing direction, thusly:
Cabernet Sauvignon (693,2 mg), Merlot (685,9 mg), Noble Burgundy (533,8 mg), Pinot
noir (415,2 mg).
 The chromatic structure of the anthocyanic compound in grapes, conferred by the
participation of the various categories of pigments for the black breeds of foreign origin is
presented in table 3.
Table 2
The contents of anthocyanins, the extractability of the anthocyanins and technological
reserves of the grapes of French origin
(at technological maturity)

Breeds
Production
Features
years Noble Cabernet
Merlot Pinot noir
Burgundy Sauvignon
2005 1065 1320 1208 671
anthocyanins
2006 1066 1395 1220 730
mg/kg
2007 1134 1475 1321 786
grapes
average 1088.3 1396.7 1249.7 729.0
2005 48.5 49.0 54.1 56.4
Extractability
2006 48.7 49.2 54.9 57.1
anthocyanins
2007 49.9 50.6 55.6 57.3
%
average 49.03 49.6 54.9 56.9
2005 516.5 646.8 653.5 378.4
Technologic 2006 519.1 686.3 669.8 416.8
al reserve 2007 565.9 746.4 734.5 450.4
average 533.8 693.2 685.9 415.2

The proportions of the various chromatic components differ depending on the

breed.
The yellow-orange component (extraction at 420nm) has indicated the lowest
value (28.8%) for the Cabernet Sauvignon breed and the highest value (33.70%) for the
Pinot noir breed. For Merlot and Noble Burgundy, the yellow-orange component occupies
intermediate positions (30.10% and respectively 31.30%).
The red component (extraction at 520nm) was in proportions ranging between
59.1% for Pinot noir and 61.9% for Cabernet Sauvignon, realising a reverse situation
compared to the yellow-orange component.
The blue component (absorption at 520nm) indicates as averages values situated
within close limits, ranging from 7.10 % for Pinot noir and 9.20 % for Cabernet Sauvignon,
proportions which cannot significantly influence the quality of the colouration even when
the wines are very young.
The anthocyanic extracts, obtained from comparable quantities of grape skins,
were subject to a rigorous analysis of spectrophotometry, which is a method recommended
by OIV. The values of the colouring intensity resulted by summing up the optical densities
at 420, 520 and 620nm, of the tonality representing the ratio between the optical densities at
420nm and 520nm and of the flavin cations determined by a special formula, where all
categories of pigments are taken into consideration (yellow, red and blue) are presented in
table 4.
 Table 3
The elements of chromatic structure of the anthocyanic extracts in grapes
of black breeds of French origin cultivated in the South of the Dragasani Vineyard
(at technological maturity)

Participation of the pigments

Production
Breeds Yellow pigments Red pigments Blue pigments
years
Do 420 % Do 520 % Do 620 %
2005 0.648 31.6 1.225 59.8 0.176 8.6
2006 0.658 31.3 1.257 59.9 0.184 8.8
Noble Burgundy
2007 0.681 31.1 1.305 59.6 0.203 9.3
average 0.662 31.3 1.262 59.7 0.187 8.9
2005 0.670 29.2 1.832 61.9 0.263 8.9
Cabernet 2006 0.872 28.9 1.869 61.9 0.277 9.2
Sauvignon 2007 0.890 28.3 1.956 62.1 0.260 9.6
average 0.810 28.8 1.885 61.9 0.266 9.2
2005 0.720 30.4 1.452 61.3 0.196 8.3
2006 0.740 30.2 1.496 61.1 0.213 8.7
Merlot
2007 0.807 29.9 1.652 61.2 0.240 8.9
average 0.755 30.1 1.533 61.2 0.216 8.5
2005 0.603 34.3 1.034 58.8 0.121 6.9
2006 0.611 33.6 1.077 59.2 0.131 7.2
Pinot noir
2007 0.647 33.4 1.148 59.2 0.143 7.4
average 0.620 33.7 1.086 59.1 0.131 7.1
Cuvette 1 mm
 Table 4
The chromatic attributions of the anthocyanic extracts in grapes of black breeds of French
origin cultivated in the South of the Dragasani Vineyard
(at technological maturity)

Colour Flavinic
Production Intensity
Breeds tonality cations
years
Ic Tc dA%
2005 2.05 0.528 66.34
Noble 2006 2.10 0.522 66.50
Burgundy 2007 2.19 0.523 66.13
average 2.11 0.524 66.32
2005 2.96 0.471 74.56
Cabernet 2006 3.02 0.466 69.28
Sauvignon 2007 3.15 0.455 70.60
average 3.04 0.464 71.48
2005 2.37 0.495 68.45
2006 2.45 0.494 68.18
Merlot
2007 2.70 0.488 68.34
average 2.50 0.492 68.32
2005 1.78 0.583 64.07
2006 1.82 0.567 65.55
Pinot noir
2007 1.94 0.564 65.59
average 1.84 0.571 65.07

The chromatic attributions of the colouring matter in the black breed grapes of
foreign origin indicate, by their values, important enough differences between the breeds,
regarding the quantitative and qualitative potential of the colouring phenyl compound.
From the point of view of colour richness, stated by the colouring intensity, the
Cabernet Sauvignon breed is at the top of the group (I c = 3.04). The last place is occupied
by the Pinot noir breed (I c = 1.84). The Merlot and Noble Burgundy breeds occupy
intermediate positions (Ic = 2.50 and respectively Ic = 2.11). The sizes of the colouring
intensity faithfully represent the values of the specific extinctions of the various categories
of pigments.
From a visual point of view, the values of the tonality, with a reverse order, signify
a more favourable ratio between the yellow-orange pigments and the red ones for the
colouring matter in the Merlot and Noble Burgundy grapes.
The quality of the anthocyanic compound, stated by the flavinic cations (dA%),
where the red component (Do 520nm) plays the essential role, ordering the breeds thusly:
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Noble Burgundy, Pinot noir.

CONCLUSIONS

In the Southern areas of the Dragasni Vineyard, the breeds for the red wines of
French origin have highly favourable ecological conditions for growing and fruitage.
For grapes, besides the considerable glucide proportions, there are also
accumulated important contents of anthocyanins which can accomplish the colour
parameter even for those wines situated on the highest quality level. Under this ratio, there
are distinguished the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot brands.
The highly balanced chromatic structure does not only allow the typical red wines
to be obtained, but also elaborates the pink wines and the Clairet types, especially from the
grapes of the Noble Burgundy and Pinot noir breeds.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Ionică Laura – „Studiul influenţei conjugate a soiului, arealului de cultură şi

factorilor tehnologici de vinificaţie primară asupra compoziţiei şi calităţii vinurilor roşii”,
Doctorate Thesis, University of Craiova – 2006;
2. Muntean Camelia, Ionică Laura – „Struguri de masă şi materii prime pentru
industria vinicolă”, Sitech Publishing House – 2006;
3. Nicolaescu C. – „Studiul potenţialului oenologic al arealului Dealul Banului –
Strejeşti – Cârlogani din sudul podgoriei Drăgăşani”, Doctorate Thesis, University of
Craiova – 2007.