Lachancea thermotolerans as a tool for enhancing aroma complexity in sparkling wine secondary fermentation

In recent years, there has been an increased interest in non-Saccharomyces yeasts for their use in the production of sparkling wines to obtain products with distinctive flavor and increased aromatic complexity. Despite this, there are few studies focused on understanding the effects of using non-Saccharomyces yeasts in the secondary fermentation of sparkling wine production. In this study, two strains of Lachancea thermotolerans selected for primary fermentation were evaluated in secondary fermentation ‘prise de mousse’ using two base wines from different vintages. The pressure-kinetic analysis showed that one strain of L. thermotolerans exhibited limited secondary fermentation aptitude, while the other exhibited secondary fermentation kinetics comparable to those of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain. The resulting sparkling wines, although presenting comparable main analytical characteristics, differed in aromatic composition and sensory profiles. Based on these characters, beyond the different base wines, the strains of L. thermotolerans showed a clear different contribution to the resulting sparkling wines. The influence of L. thermotolerans compared with S. cerevisiae it was found in the production of higher alcohols and acetate esters and appeared to be strictly dependent on the specific strain used and the chemical composition of base wine. L. thermotolerans DiSVA322 exhibited the best score in the sensory analysis of resulting sparkling wines, exhibiting, together with a relevant score for citrus and tropical fruit, a significantly high score for softness, structure, and aromatic herbs descriptors. Thus, the use of L. thermotolerans in secondary fermentation of sparkling wine could be a suitable strategy to enhance aroma profile and flavor complexity.