Evaluation of the enological potential of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon wines for the production of Premium red wines in the Padua Hills

The concept of quality for Premium red wines is related to the agronomical and enological improvement and to the pedoclimatic features typical of a territory. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon wines have some important sensory characteristics deriving from the morphological and phenological features of the vines, the territory and the cultivation and vinification techniques. This work was part of the activities of a large project focused on Super/Ultra-Premium red wines curated by CIRVE and the University of Padua, in collaboration with Coldiretti and the Consorzio Volontario per la Tutela dei Vini Colli Euganei, to create a proposal of “Protocol of Designation” of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon wines from the different areas of the “Colli Euganei”. The project was based on eleven Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon wines from eleven different producers located in Padua Hills and the aim of the work was to characterized these wines from chemical and sensory point of view to highlight the main variables that influence the sensory profile of the wines. The results showed higher variability for some sensory descriptors in both wines, potentially related to different characteristics of the terroir. This has highlighted a great interest in the production of Premium red wines starting from Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon wines from the “Colli Euganei” area.