2. Suber Lefort Oak Adjuncts
The Role of Oak in Wine

3. Oak barrels and wine have been synonymous for more than 2000 years
Why Oak
Oak barrels and wine have been synonymous for more than 2000 years
Initially the oak barrels were only considered as a container in which to store and transport the wine.
However more recently the role in which oak both imparts flavours to the wine whilst also aiding in its stability have been investigated.
The role of Oak in Wine
Oak and wine have been in synergy for more than 2000 years, initially the oak was only considered as a container in which to store and transport the wine. However more recently the role in which oak both imparts flavours to the wine whilst also aiding in its stability have been investigated.
For a number of years winemakers have used a number of barrels to increase the oak flavour complexity in their wines. Winemakers would select oak barrels of differing oak origins withy their specific characteristics and then blend the wine from these barrels to obtain the oak flavour profile that they liked.
The recent use of oak adjuncts to replace many barrel programs have provided winemakers with another tool to use but without the oak flavour complexity found in barrel programs and the comments of mono dimensional flavour profiles have been voiced.
Through our extensive research and development, Lefort is able to overcome these issues by providing a variety of oak products that provide specific flavour profiles which can then be combined and blended with each other to better replicate the flavour characteristics found in a barrel programs.
At Lefort we have identified three major areas of the vinification process where oak is paramount in assisting the winemaker to achieve his goals.

4. Oak in Wine or Wine in Oak?
“It does not matter if you put wood into wine or wine into wood’
So said Andries Tromp, chair of the OIV expert group in 2002
To quote John Glatzner “NO WOOD NO GOOD”

5. Oak in Wine or Wine in Oak?
An article in the “Wine Industry Journal” in 1999 said that wine tasting experts were unable to identify whether the wines had been aged in barrel or tank with chips!
(Tastings held by the Institute de Degustation de Tours, FRANCE)
Only 60% identified barrel Vs Tanks usually assuming that the better tasting wine was from a barrel!
When asked to rate the wines chipped wines did just as well as barrel aged

6. Do Consumers Care if it’s barrel or Alternatives?
Professor Larry Lockshin, Director of the Wine Marketing Group, Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science USA says that most consumers cant tell by tasting how a wine has been Oaked.

7. Comparative Costs American Oak Barrique $600 French Oak Barrique $1200
American / French Oak Blocks $11.00 / Kg
American / French Oak Tank Staves $25.00 / sq. mtr.
Assuming 5 rotations through the barriques & 2 gms/ ltr for the Oak Blocks & 2 sq. mtrs / 1000 litres for the tank staves
Costs per bottle of wine: -
American Barrel : - $ % % more expensive
French Barrel : - $ % % more expensive
than alternatives
Oak Blocks : - $
Tank Staves : - $

8. Oak Flavours developed with Temperature
Flavours produced with Increasing Temperature
Oak Sweet & Honey Vanilla & Spice Toasty Coffee & Chocolate Acrid smoke

9. OAK BARREL ALTERNATIVE ANALYSIS
Analysis of Barrel Alternative Oak products for Suber Lefort by the AWRI (Australian Wine Research Institute) has indicated that our products supplied exhibit an excellent balance of flavour characters with no indication of “off” flavours. The results are reported as ug of extract / gm of wood. Ie; ug of flavoids /litre for each 1 gram of wood added / 1 litre of wine
The analysis work undertaken by Suber Lefort has highlighted that different processing techniques can produce a vastly different flavour profile. The ‘TRADITIONAL’ radiant heat toasting produces a style similar to that of open toasting of a barrel that includes char characters. The ‘XOV’ convection toasted oak produces a much sweeter softer spicy style of oak without the smoky overtones.
The winemaker in producing a wine with unique oak characters and style can exploit these differences.
A brief summary of the important component flavours follows: -
Oak Lactone:
Considered very important oak derived flavour compounds. Chiefly responsible for the greater intensity of vanilla and coconut like aromas in wines matured in American compared to French Oak. Typically the ratio between cis & trans for conventionally radiant toasted oak; French is ~2:1 whilst American is up to ~10:1, but for convection toasted products the French ratios vary considerably approaching those of American oak. Mixtures of cis & trans oak lactones with a higher amount of cis had more coconut, sweet, cinnamon aroma whilst those with higher trans had higher woody, herbaceous characters.
Guaiacol & 4-Methylguaiacol:
Smokey aromas and usually indicators of the toasting level. Formed exclusively by the toasting process and the degradation of the lignin’s.
Vanillin:
Vanilla aroma, and is formed in increasing amounts with the toasting level. Also coffee, chocolate and some smoky characters.
4-Ethylphenol & 4-Ethylguaiacol:
Produced by the Brettanomyces yeast and are found in virtually all barrel aged red wines.
4-Ethylphenol is responsible for the ‘old sweaty leather’ aroma when present in high concentrations. Both of these compounds are generally regarded as undesirable.
Eugenol:
Produces a ‘clove’ like aroma.
Furfural & 5-methylfurfural:
Characterised by the sweeter caramel and butterscotch aromas and flavours

11. Stages of Oak Addition Primary Fermentation Maturation
Post Fermentation & Pre bottling

14. Oak is added at the crusher or must at fermentation
Primary Fermentation:
Oak is added at the crusher or must at fermentation
Products Used:-
Small Oak Chips, Powders, (Mini Staves, Tank staves)
These provide rapid extraction of the tannins and flavours
The small oak does not cause pump transfer problems
Larger oak chips or blocks also in ‘tea bags’ can be used
But must be restrained or removed before racking
Note that mini staves and tank staves are sometimes used by the winemaker particularly with Chardonnay fermentation prior to the staves being used in a red wine program
Fermentation
The use of low level doses of fine chips at fermentation impacts on the must in many ways. The tannin released from the oak aids in colour stabilisation but importantly also provides oxidation protection.
The use of condensed tannins (Oenolab AQ) at crush & ferment are also commonly used in synergy with fine chips to further provide mechanisms for the co-pigmentation of the anthocyanins and further enhance colour stabilisation. The natural tannins found in grapes are also extracted but usually some 48 hours after when they are required for maximum colour stabilisation and retention.

15. Wine Maturation Products used: -
Tank Staves, Mini Staves, Blocks, Large Chips
Wine is racked off after fermentation and transferred into tanks for ageing with either of the above products being used
Micro oxidation at this stage provides an other element to the ageing process and is synergistic with the oak program
Maturation
For aging, oak is used to provide structure and oaks unique flavour components (formed during the toasting of the oak) are extracted into the wine. A program usually consisting of Tank staves, Mini staves, Blocks etc in tanks but which may also be combined with older barrels to increase complexity.

16. Pre Bottling Products used
Oak Blocks & Powders - Particularly the ‘XOS’ range
Post ageing the wine is reviewed by the winemaker who then may feel that the wine requires further oak enhancement.
At this stage the winemaker is most often requiring more of the subtle toasted oak flavours without any of the harsher astringent tannins associated with new oak.
Pre Bottling
At the pre bottling stage, specialist ‘finishing’ oak is used to impart and refine the oak aromatics that the winemaker is seeking in the wine.
Our cost effective products are available to the winemaker at all of these vinification stages, from the use of fine chips at fermentation through the use of blocks, mini staves and tank staves during maturation and fine powders and blocks at the final ‘polishing ‘ stage.
Further additions of fine aromatic Oak tannins (Oenolab QD) may also be used for structure and palate enhancement
Our range of available oaks include both the finest centre of France aged oaks, together with American and Hungarian sourced oaks.
Our toasting flavour profiles of ‘Traditional’, radiant toasting and our extremely popular ‘XOV’, convection toasted, together with our newer ‘XOS’, longer seasoned profile can provide the wine maker with a very broad range of oak flavours in their wine.

17. Products Overview Size Matters! Small is fast Big is slower
These following points apply to both French, American or East European oaks
Size Matters!
Small is fast Big is slower
Fine powders and chips have a very rapid extraction into
the wine, blocks mini staves and tank staves are slower.
But always the wine needs time for the integration of the
oak in the wine

18. Flavour Profiles
Traditional Toasting
Radiant process exhibits the typical barrel profile of extracts, includes the smoke overtones of a toasted barrel

19. Flavour Profiles
Convection Toasting ‘XOV’
Changes the profile enhancing the Vanillin component without the smoke characters of traditional toasting

20. Flavour Profiles Radiant Toasted ‘XOS’
Older seasoned wood providing a very soft extract without strong wood tannin overtones
A radiant toasted product ideally suited to pre bottling, offering enhanced sweet chocolate coffee flavours with minimal oak tannins

21. Product Life Oak Adjuncts
Shelf life test performed by Suber Lefort have shown no measurable difference between products of over 12 months.
Similar independent testing by the AWRI over a 6 month period verify our findings