The oak products for wine-making in the Pronektar® range benefit from the experience and know-how of the Radoux cooperage with regard to the composition of oak wood, the selection of timber, the maturation of the oak and their skill in controlling the toasting process.
Pronektar’s oak products for wine-making are made from strictly selected oak timber, and offer a wide range of technical and economic solutions adapted to what winemakers are seeking for their wines.
With over fifteen years of experience in the research, development and sales of oak chips and staves, Pronektar is now recognized as the reference brand for oak for winemaking.
Expertise in oak and toasting process
Selecting the wood is the key step, as it determines the initial chemical composition of the products. Various types of compounds are extracted from the oak and passed on to the wine: volatile compounds, which impact the aromas of the wine, and non volatile compounds such as ellagitannins.
These ellagitannins have a major impact on the wines or spirits they enrich: they alter the sensory profile, the tannic structure, the color, and play a protective role against oxidative breakdown.
With Oakscan®, a unique process developed by the Radoux cooperage, oak is selected according to its tannin content. This new technique enables us to determine products with high or low levels of polyphenols to improve the homogeneity and reproducibility of the results obtained when using these oak products in winemaking.
Convection toasting
Our wood products are made exclusively with cooperage grade oak which is naturally seasoned. The oak is then toasted according to an exclusive thermic process developed by Pronektar.
The aim of the toasting process is to reveal the aromatic potential of the wood and to help develop the various aromas, such as toasty, spicy, vanilla, etc., and also to have an impact on the ellagitannins and their contribution towards structure. We use the principle of convection which enables us to obtain a toast through to the heart of the wood, which guarantees homogeneity and reproducibility.
An ultra modern production unit
Our production site is based in Mézières-en-Brenne, in the heart of the natural park of the Brenne forest. It was fully modernized in 2006 and conforms to strict rules governing quality, control and safety.
Our equipment includes:
- Autonomous crushing machine
- Machinery which helps control the moisture content of the wood
- Toasting ovens with state-of-the-art technology with regard to regulation of air flow, homogeneity of toasts.
- Supervising equipment which helps us to manage the thermic treatment process and enables us keep a record of the toasts over several years.
Thanks to these high performance production tools, we are able to guarantee optimum reproducibility and quality of our oak products for winemaking.