Monument Vineyard : Wine Analysis

G-G Analysis Results from the 1996 National Vineyard Fruit Composition Survey

The graphs below are taken from Francis et al¹. They show the overall results of samples analysed for G-G from the 1996 National Vineyard Fruit Composition Survey.
The Monument Vineyard readings for Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon are plotted onto these graphs; the grey points are from the 2000 vintage, while the white points are from 2003.

Results from the analysis of both vintages show that the Monument Vineyard grapes are toward the top end of the Australian quality spectrum.

Spectral Analysis of 2003 Vintage Wines

Red Wine Colour and Phenolic Measures

The colour of red wines is mostly due to colour pigments called anthocyanins. Iland et al² state that "some authors have shown a positive correlation between wine colour density and quality ratings." There appears to be a direct positive relationship between wine colour density values and the visual description of wines, and ultimately the quality of the wine.

The following table summarises the spectral analyses performed on the wine produced from 2003 vintage grapes.

Parameters	Range	Shiraz	Cabernet Sauvignon
Total anthocyanins	100-500 (usual 300-400)	481	559
Total phenolics	20-100 (usual 40-65)	61	81
Colour density	0-12 (0-6 light, 6-10 medium, >10 high)	14.6	19.6
Colour hue	0.54-0.86 (ratio of yellow brown to red pigments)	0.54	0.55

¹ Francis, L., et al. "A national vineyard fruit composition survey - evaluating the G-G assay." (The Australian Grapegrower and Winemaker, Number 414a, 26th Annual Technical Issue, 1998).
² Iland, P., Ewart, A., Sitters, J., Markides, A., Bruer, N. "Techniques for chemical analysis and quality monitoring during winemaking." (Patrick Iland Wine Promotions, Campletown, SA, 2000).