Characterization of Texas Cabernet Sauvignon and Tannat Wines

Texas wines remain underrepresented in the scientific literature, and combined chemical and sensory datasets for key varieties are limited. This study characterized the physicochemical, phenolic, volatile, metabolomic, and sensory profiles of 26 Texas Cabernet Sauvignon and Tannat wines from the Texas High Plains and Texas Hill Country AVAs and compared them with benchmark wines from California, France, and Uruguay. Analyses included pH, titratable acidity, alcohol, color, antioxidant activity, targeted LC-MS/MS phenolic profiling, HS-SPME-GC-MS volatile analysis, untargeted metabolomics, and sensory profiling using Hierarchical Rate-All-That-Apply (HRATA). Multivariate analyses revealed distinct chemical and sensory patterns between Texas wines and benchmark regions, as well as notable differences between Texas subregions, as observed through PCA and PLS-DA score and loading plots. It is acknowledged that the wines in this study originated from different producers, vintages, and winemaking protocols; therefore, observed regional differences may reflect a combination of environmental conditions and winemaking practices rather than terroir alone. Texas High Plains wines were generally associated with more favorable aromatic and sensory attributes, while Texas Hill Country wines showed distinct chemical and sensory patterns. Interpretations of relationships between chemical compounds and sensory attributes are based on multivariate biplot associations and should be understood as observed co-occurrences rather than direct causal relationships. These results provide the first combined reference dataset for Texas Cabernet Sauvignon and Tannat wines and support future research on regional identity, varietal performance, and wine quality in Texas.