SOIL TYPE EFFECT ON VINES AND WINES PRODUCED FROM VITIS VINIFERA L. CV MALBEC FROM A HIGH ALTITUDE VINEYARD

PICCOLI PATRICIA.; MEZZATESTA D; URVIETA R; BERLI F

MENDOZA

Congreso; XXGIESCO; 2018

UNUYO-UDAVIS

SOIL TYPE EFFECT ON VINES AND WINES PRODUCED FROM VITIS VINIFERA L. CV MALBEC FROM A HIGH ALTITUDE VINEYARDDaniela S. MEZZATESTA 1, 2; Roy A. URVIETA 1, 2; Federico J. BERLI 1; Pablo M. ORTEGA 2; Fernando G. BUSCEMA 2; Patricia N. PICCOLI 11IBAM, FCA-CONICET, Univ. Nac. Cuyo, Alte. Brown 500, M5528AHB, Chacras de Coria, Argentina.2Catena Institute of Wine. Cobos s/n, Agrelo, Argentina.*Corresponding authors: D Mezzatesta dmezzatesta@catenainstitute.com; R Urvieta rurvieta@catenainstitute.com AbstractSoil impact on grape and wine quality has been described as a key regionality factor. In this study, vines and wines from two different soils in the same block and under the same viticulture management were evaluated. The experiment was carried out during the growing season 2015 ? 2016 in a high altitude vineyard at 1450 m.a.s.l. Four soil maps were compared in order to select two contrasting soils: shallow and deep. The maps were built by measuring soil electrical conductivity (EC) at 0.5 m and 1.5 m, soil depth at 70 «in situ» observation points/hectare and a normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Wines were made under the same winemaking conditions with 3 replicates and without oak contact. Deep soil vines presented 50% more shoots per plant and 105% more kg per plant than shallow soil vines. Deep soil berries showed 7% less soluble solids and 10% more fresh berry weight than shallow soil berries. Panelists significantly differentiated the wines from the two soils on a triangle test and used unique sensory descriptors to characterize each of them. Future evaluation of berry and wine chemistry will help assessing the soil impact on high altitude Malbec vines and wines more precisely.Key words: Malbec, soil, wine, regionality.