Application Notes
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Application Note - Oak Aromas
Research
A Cabernet Sauvignon was aged in barrels with a range of  different oak toasting levels. The barrel aged wines were analyzed at 18 months using the ETS Oak Aroma Analysis. The data is represented graphically, illustrating a wine aged in a French Oak, “Heavy Toast” barrel relative to the average levels of all the wines in the trial.

Wine aged in “Heavy Toast” Barrel

 




























Interpretation
The analytical data clearly indicates chemical differences and potential sensory differences within the barrel trial. The wine aged in “Heavy Toast” barrels displays an overall greater extraction of flavor/aroma compounds than the group average. The oak lactones were relatively low, suggesting less fresh oak and coconut aromas. Vanillin (vanilla) was close to the average. Furfural and 5-methylfurfural (markers for caramelized tones) and eugenol and isoeugenol (markers for clove/spice) were considerably higher than average. Compounds showing the greatest increase were 4-methylguaiacol and guaiacol (markers for smoky character) matching the perceived sensory impression of smoky and charred aromas in this wine. 

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