Some Volatile Components of Wines of Vitis Vinifera Varieties Cabernet-Sauvignon and Ruby Cabernet. I. Neutral Compounds

¹ Department of Viticulture and Enology University of California, Davis, California, 95616.
² Department of Chemistry University of California, Davis, California, 95616.
³ Department of Viticulture and Enology; University of California, Davis, California, 95616.

Two samples of wines of Vitis vinifera var. 'Cabernet-Sauvignon' and one of 'Ruby Cabernet' were investigated as to volatile components. The 1955 Cabernet-Sauvignon and Ruby Cabernet were extracted directly with methylene chloride to isolate the aroma materials, whereas the two portions of the 1960 Cabernet-Sauvignon were steam-distilled at reduced pressure and the aroma materials extracted from the distillates with the etherpentane azeotrope. Half of the 1960 wine was distilled and extracted immediately after fermentation, whereas the other portion was wood-and-glass-aged for several years before aromas were separated. Acids were separated from the neutrals, and the neutrals were fractionated gas chromatographically. Aged wines showed more high-boiling compounds than unaged wines, Ruby Cabernet contained some compounds not present in the Cabernet-Sauvignons. Nine new substances in Cabernet aroma were identified.