OUR CRAFTS

labbe Expert Forestier
Complementary Crafts

OUR MODEL

Our model is built on the full integration of the oak value chain, enabling us to optimize and enhance resources at every stage. Each activity is interconnected — from sourcing to transformation, and through to end uses.

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Step 1

Forestry and Sourcing

French (FR), American (US), and European (EU) Oak

Step 2

Sawmill, Stave Mill

FR, EU, US Oak

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Step 3

Cooperage, Large Oak Casks

FR, EU, US Oak

Step 4

Second Life & Services

Trading of used barrels, repair, restoration, recycling, logistics

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Step 5

Research & Innovation / Analysis, Oak for Oenology, Cosmetics

Step 6

Oak Flooring, Architecture & Design, Remarkable Wooden Structures

FR, EU, US Oak

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A Branching Network of Crafts

OUR EXPERTISE

Our crafts span every stage of oak transformation. They serve the enhancement of the material and of our model. In our workshops as in the forest, each of our decisions is guided by oak itself, its rhythm, its rarity, its quality, and how best to elevate it.

Upstream Expertise

Forestry

Throughout the year, our buyers travel through the forests in search of the finest oak trees to be enhanced by our Houses. In Europe, sessile oak (Quercus petraea) and pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) reach maturity after 150 to 200 years, while American white oak (Quercus alba) is selected between 80 and 90 years of age. Each tree is carefully chosen, with full respect for forest regeneration and biodiversity. We source directly from public and private owners in sustainably managed forests, preserving this exceptional natural heritage.

Sawmill

Our sawmills, located in France, Romania, and the United States, specialize in the production of very high-quality lumber for the construction and interior and exterior furnishing markets. They supply construction professionals with premium oak materials and provide our Houses specialized in parquet flooring, architecture, and design with their raw material. In this way, we enhance 100% of our oak volumes internally, at the highest level of value.

Stave Mill

Staves, intended for barrel production, represent the noblest part of the oak. At Charlois, we have preserved the ancestral craftsmanship of transforming them since the mid-17th century. Precise gestures, passed down from generation to generation, involve working the staves along the natural grain of the wood to obtain straight-grain oak pieces of impeccable quality. These are then seasoned outdoors for a minimum of two years. This essential natural maturation reveals the purity and aromatic richness of the oak.
Oak Craftsmanship for Maturation and Ageing

Cooperage

Each of our cooperages upholds its own signature, shaped by its traditions and craftsmanship — from the selection of oak according to its geographic origin or oenological potential, to production methods that express a distinctive style. The oak barrel then becomes a true partner in aging, revealing the complexity, finesse, and personality of fine wines and spirits.

Large Oak Casks

We combine engineering and exceptional craftsmanship in the design and production of custom-made oak vats and large casks. Our engineering office and our coopers specialized in large formats support each project — from 3D design to manufacturing and installation in the cellar. Designed to integrate naturally into their environment, these creations combine functionality, durability, and elegance in service of exceptional wines and spirits.

Valorization & Recycling of Barrels

The activity of repairing oak barrels lies at the heart of our commitments: enhancing and optimizing oak as a raw material at every stage of its life. Our coopers, heirs to ancestral craftsmanship, use traditional techniques to restore each barrel’s full functionality and nobility. Each repaired barrel thus enters a new life cycle, extending the virtuous circle of sustainable management. A single oak barrel can span more than a century — having successively held a fine wine and then an exceptional spirit.
Oak & Applied Innovations

Oak for Œnology

Our oak products for œnology derive their excellence from the quality of the raw material — oak that is rigorously selected and seasoned according to the same standards as for cooperage. Their development is based on mastered craftsmanship, combined with the expertise of our laboratory and our Research & Innovation department, which ensure both technical and sensory monitoring. Through this commitment to excellence, we develop highly reliable and high-performing products, designed to support wines and spirits with precision and full respect for their aromatic balance.

Cosmetics

The result of scientific research conducted within our laboratory, the cosmetics division illustrates our ability to innovate and diversify based on the many natural qualities of oak. Our researchers have developed several exclusive patents, including Concentré Quercus Petraea, PÉTRASÈVE®, and PÉTRAGEMMA®, derived respectively from oak wood, leaves, and bark; sap; and buds. These discoveries led to the creation of La Chênaie, a high-performance skincare line that combines science, naturality, and French excellence.
Oak and the Art of Living

Oak Flooring

We manufacture premium oak parquet flooring sourced from sustainably managed forests. Our production sites — located close to the raw material, in the United States for American white oak and in Romania for European oak — ensure exemplary traceability and local enhancement of the resource. From tree selection to finishing, each step is carried out with care and precision. Combining traditional craftsmanship with technical expertise, we create durable and elegant parquet flooring.

Architecture & Design

We enhance oak through the creation of furniture, interior and exterior fittings, and bespoke projects. Designers, engineers, carpenters, and cabinetmakers combine their expertise to design and craft pieces with pure lines, where aesthetics and functionality are seamlessly aligned. A signature product line and collaborations with renowned designers extend this approach, giving rise to contemporary creations that elevate oak in all its excellence.

Remarkable Wooden Structures

We design and create unique spaces born from individual dreams, taking on architectural challenges such as building treehouses set high among the branches. These demanding projects, carried out with deep respect for nature, highlight the nobility of wood and the craftsmanship of our carpenters and joiners. In doing so, we support hospitality professionals as well as private clients in bringing to life distinctive and inspiring accommodation projects.
Supporting the Houses

Engineering

We design and develop high-performance machinery for sawmills, stave mills, and cooperages, with a constant focus on safety, quality, and material optimization. Based in Murlin, our engineering office operates its own manufacturing workshop, where the machines used across all our Houses are designed, improved, and maintained. This in-house expertise ensures continuous innovation and perfect alignment between our production tools and the specific demands of oak and our crafts.

R&I / Analysis

We place the scientific expertise of our laboratory at the service of all our Houses. Specialized in the agri-food sector, it is involved in aroma characterization, the detection of organoleptic defects, and food safety control. It also hosts the Research & Innovation department, which leads study and development programs focused on oak. The laboratory is accredited by COFRAC in accordance with ISO 17025:2017 (Accreditation No. 1-2201. Scope available at www.cofrac.fr), reflecting its rigor, reliability, and scientific excellence.

Heritage Enhancement

Across each of our sites, we bring our built heritage to life. We carefully restore the buildings that house our crafts, respecting their rural identity and territorial roots, so they remain places of life, transmission, and creation. Around our headquarters in Murlin, more than 150 hectares of land, ponds, and forests are cultivated through organic farming and within an agroforestry approach.

Hospitality

Across all our Houses, we cultivate a sincere and welcoming hospitality, open to partners, employees, and visitors eager to discover our rare crafts and share authentic moments. In this spirit, we take part in the European Heritage Days and organize events that celebrate the forest, oak, our craftsmanship, and that of local stakeholders who share our values.

Art & Culture

We maintain a close connection between oak, art, and creation. Convinced that culture contributes to the transmission of craftsmanship and the elevation of skilled gestures, we support artistic initiatives that celebrate the forest, the material, nature, and our living heritage crafts. Exhibitions and collaborations with contemporary artists and creators help showcase the many expressions given to oak. In this way, art and culture fully contribute to our commitment to sharing, transmission, and the enhancement of oak.
Innovating

TO CREATE WHAT DOES NOT YET EXIST

At Charlois, we develop solutions that strengthen our mastery of oak, improve its transformation, and extend the lifespan of our products. This dynamic shapes all of our crafts and continuously drives us to innovate.

IMPROVING PROCESSES
Our workshops design tools and machinery tailored to our needs. These developments optimize production, enhance quality, and reduce material waste. Each technical advancement facilitates the work of oak and improves the performance of our sites.

EXPLORING NEW HORIZONS
Research enables us to understand and reveal the properties of oak in order to open up new applications. It supports the development of new activities that enhance the value of oak, such as La Chênaie cosmetics.

OPENING NEW OPPORTUNITIES
Engineering supports the creation of bespoke barrels and large oak casks, distinctive wooden constructions, and design objects. This approach strengthens the diversification of our crafts and enhances the value of every fiber of oak.

EXTENDING THE LIFE CYCLE
From the design stage onward, our commitment to quality ensures the durability of our products. Repair, reconditioning, and the second life of barrels are part of a circular economy approach, notably limiting the environmental impact of our activities. This approach also fosters cooperation between our houses.