Toasted bread
26 May 2020
The aromas of oak in wines – The series of aromas of oak in wines highlights the odorous molecules that oak gives to wines during ageing.
Wine ageing is a technically very delicate step. The work of the oenologist and the cooper must be precise in order to enhance the profile of the wine. Indeed, the aromatic molecules brought during the ageing in oak barrels complete the original profile of the wine without denaturing it.
Among these characteristic smells of barrel ageing, we can find the smell of toast, hot bread. This is linked to the presence of furan type molecules among which we can cite furfural and 5-methyl-furfural.
These are compounds formed during the toasting step by degradation of cellulose, hence their classification of “empyreumatic” aromas. Their quantity increases with the intensity of heating. They will thus be found in greater concentration in barrels with medium + or strong toasting level.
The toast / hot bread note brings a gourmet dimension to the wines, recalling the smell of bakeries and freshly baked French toast.
