Research project carried out in collaboration with the University of La Rioja, Excell Ibérica laboratories and thanks to the support of the ADER.
Tonelería Murúa believes that tradition and experience must be based on a continuous quest for research, innovation and development. For this reason, it has led research into the different contributions that American oak can make to wine according to specific geographical origins in the Origen Project.
Elena Ceca, CEO and fourth generation at the helm of Tonelería Murúa, assures that ‘research is a key element for our development because only with this type of studies can we achieve excellence in barrel making and understand and offer alternatives to wineries’.
Ceca also believes that ‘it allows us to be in very direct contact with oenologists and wineries and thus encourage a long and fruitful conversation to find out their needs and propose personalised solutions’.
The aim of the project is to obtain greater knowledge of the contribution of oak to wine according to its geographical origin in order to be able to choose one area or another depending on the wine to be made or the grape used.
To do so, wines were aged in barrels from forests in four geographical areas of the United States: Missouri, Kentucky, Ohio and Pennsylvania, and an analysis was made of how the different origins affect the chemical and sensory characteristics of the wines.
The study involved 14 wineries from the D.O. Ca Rioja and Ribera del Duero. It is a research project carried out in collaboration with the University of La Rioja, the Excell Ibérica laboratories and with the support of the ADER.
Phases
In the first phase, before the wine was put in the barrel, the oenological parameters of colour, polyphenols and volatile composition were analysed in the wines. The next phases of analysis were at 6 months, 12 months and 24 months of barrel ageing.
Conclusions
The following conclusions can be drawn. On the one hand, the study determines that each origin contributes its own peculiarity to the wine. This conclusion is reflected in the analysis of the data, where each barrel origin generates wines with different chemical compositions and a very different sensory profile, affecting the aromatic composition to a greater extent than the polyphenolic composition. On the other hand, the effect of barrels of different origins on phenolic and volatile substances in the wine varied according to the ageing time.
The barrels from Pennsylvania and Missouri were more suitable for more aromatic and complex wines at 6 months of ageing and with the highest total olfactory activity values (OAV).
The Kentucky and Missouri origins were the best rated at 12 months, both in the olfactory and taste phases, although in order to decide which of the two origins is the most suitable it is necessary to consider which is the original starting wine, as each wine will evolve differently when aged in one origin or the other.
The barrels from the Kentucky forests were the most suitable for long ageing. At 24 months of ageing, wines aged in Kentucky barrels showed the highest concentrations of furfuryl alcohol, β-methyl-γ-octalactones, eugenol, furanic compounds and wood-related aroma OAVs, and the highest stilbene content.
Base project for a doctoral thesis
The work carried out as part of the Origen Project has enabled Zhao Feng to complete his doctoral thesis. Under the title “Chemical and sensory characterisation of Tempranillo wines in Quercus Alba oak barrels of different geographical origins”, the doctoral thesis has been based on the study and conclusions of the research carried out under the umbrella of the Origen Project.
Developed in the Department of Agriculture and Food of the University of La Rioja -in the framework of the PhD programme 783D Oenology, Viticulture and Sustainability (Royal Decree 99/2011)- this thesis has been directed by Zenaida Guadalupe Mínguez and Leticia Martínez Lapuente and has been qualified with outstanding “cum laude”.
This research work has given rise to three scientific publications in the prestigious journals Food Science & Technology and the journal Chemistry, multidisciplinary.
Innovation as a driving force
Since 2010, Tonelería Murua has carried out 12 research studies, investing more than 570,000 euros in this field. Research is one of the fundamental values of our company, reflecting our commitment to continuous improvement. Our aim is to be a benchmark in the field of ‘wood-wine interaction’ research, generating innovative knowledge that allows us to offer our customers unique added value.
