Colour and Sensory Characteristics of Merlot Red Wines Caused by Prolonged Pomace Contact

Pigment analytical parameters and sensory characteristics of Merlot red wines made with pomace contact during fermentation and subsequent maceration were investigated. The fermenting (at 25 ° C) musts were pressed at 0 (free-run juice), 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 days after crushing and addition of the yeast. All wines were allowed to finish fermentation after pressing. High scores were given for wines made with 4, 8 and 16 days’ pomace contact. The sensory characteristics correlated with the wine component and pigment parameter results.