The Influence of Oak Wood (Quercus robur L., Q. petraea Liebl.) on the Flavor of Burgundy Pinot noir. An Examination of Variation Among Individual Trees

¹ Equipe de Biochimie Ingéniérie Moléculaire et Sensorielles de l'Aliments, Groupe Propriétés Sensorielles, ENSBANA, 1 esplanade Erasme, Campus Universitaire, 21000 Dijon, France
² Laboratoire de Forêts, Direction Régionale de Bourgogne, 29 rue de Talent, Dijon, France.

Francois.Sauvageot{at}u-bourgogne.fr

This study presents the results of a series of sensory evaluations (using paired comparisons) of Burgundy Pinot noir matured in oak barrels which were constructed from 11 oak trees from four different French forests. The following factors were controlled: the cutting and drying of barrel staves, the barrel toasting, and the wine used. Nine sensory descriptors were examined that are thought to relate to maturation in oak wood. The results identified two opposing groups of descriptors, the first consisting of the characters woody, vanillin, toasted, and coconut and the second formed from the descriptors pharmaceutical clove, and hay. The astringent descriptor appeared most closely associated with the second group, although no significant differences were noted among the paired comparisons. The sweaty descriptor varied independently from these two main groups. Among the characteristics of trees (species and forest origin) and wood properties measured (levels of cis and trans oak lactone and ellagitannins, total porosity, ring widths or wood 'grain' and texture), the level of cis oak lactone appeared the most closely related to the aroma differences, with the intensity of the descriptors woody, vanillin, toasted and coconut of the wine increasing with higher levels of cis oak lactone. In contrast, ring widths did not appear to have any obvious influence on the sensory characters.

Key words: flavor, sensory evaluation, wine, oak barrel, oak lactone, sessile oak, pedunculate oak

Submitted on August 10, 1998
Revised on May 17, 1999

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