Decanter World Wine AwardsInnovation award for tannin-measurement system
- Monday 27 September 2010
Oakscan is an infrared scanning system which measures the exact number of tannins in each stave of a barrel before it is assembled, meaning a winemaker can precisely select the type of tannins to match the style of wine required.
The system was developed as a result of research carried out by Nicolas Mourey at barrel makers Radoux, together with the Faculty of Oenology at Bordeaux University.
Oakscan will be used to make the first barrels to be able to categorise the type and quality of tannins in wood.
Radoux is in the process of implementing the system for all its French oak barrels.
Frederic Bonnaffous, technical director at Chateau le Boscq and Chateau Belgrave in the Medoc, who has been involved in testing the barrels, told Decanter.com the more they could reduce the number of variables in the barrel selection process, the better.
'The idea of reducing variations between barrels is very seductive. Not only does each oak tree have different tannin levels, but so do the different sides of a tree, and its inner and outer sections.
‘We can do nothing about variations in yearly weather patterns in Bordeaux, but if we can have some stability in the barrels, that would add another level of precision to our winemaking.'
Pierre Guillaum of Radoux said, 'There is a poetic side to winemaking, but you also need fixed parameters within which to work.'
Have your say!
Naoya KASAI
October 02 13:07
Wine tannin is very interesting to study. I have been studying to know easily the tannin contents. I lucked to find this?page today. I have recently make a chemical reagent of selective for condensed tannin. Is it usable?
Michael Quirk
October 03 11:23
Having just completed an extensive week in Adelaide doing the AWAC course it came as no surprise to many of us that the excessive "Brett" characters in the many European wines that were tasted are considered the norm in the old world, was clearly displayed as a wine fault and marked down considerably. Besides the use of corks it is clear that other area's within the winemakers control can be dealt with as it was in older Australian wineries especially in the Hunter Valley. Excellent work for this wonderful innovation to be able to track every stave of the barrel and to be able to reduce the disppointment of some wines that deserve to be in the best condition for the consumer.
Sarah Culligan
September 30 13:13
Following on from the heated exchanges in relation to cork closures recently on Decanter.com, I was struck by the reasons voiced by Mr Bonnafoux and Mr Guillaum supporting the use of this new system.
"reduce variables... stability...precision to our wine making...fix the parameters within which to work".
The very reasons many winemakers are looking at alternative to cork closures.
Good enough for barrels, good enough for closures?
Greg Lamb
September 27 19:17
Great idea! It could finally limit the number of trials we have to do year after year!