Research & Development

In 2000, Tonnellerie Radoux set up a Research & Development department with the aim of intensifying its scientific study of the production process.

Innovating

By carrying out experimental programs from the selection of wood grain to the sensorial analysis of finished wines, they are able to gather the necessary knowledge which allows them to propose a range of qualified and reproducible toasts.

In order to constantly improve the quality of its range of products and take into account the whole of the production process, the R&D department developed its research at the source, working on the selection of raw material, up to the final stages of the process, studying the organoleptic aspects of the contribution of the oak.

Tonnellerie Radoux’s latest innovation: Oakscan®, a unique process of analyzing Ellagitannins.


Finding out more

Wood selection and qualified, reproducible toasts

R&D trials are carried out from the selection of the wood species and the grain up to the sensory analysis of finished wines, working in close partnership with wine experts. We study the chemical characteristics of our barrels not only when they leave our workshop, but above all in the real conditions of wine aging, on several vintages, differentiating the grape varieties and origins. This daily commitment to our winemakers allows us to accurately qualify the profiles of our products in terms of organoleptic contribution, taking into account the working constraints of the oenologists and the variability of wine, and to offer qualities and reproducible toasts which meet precise oenological objectives.

Our research has enabled us to offer precise solutions which respect the fruit and sweetness with the creation of the « Evolution » range of toast, to achieve a rigorous level of reproducibility in all the toasting types and to offer a specific selection of wood suited to the oenological demands of white wines.

Our partners

Tonnellerie Radoux works in close collaboration with numerous organizations, such as the INRA Institut Technique du Vin in Montpellier, INRA’s unit for the genetic and physiological improvement of forests in Orléans, the CEMAGREF, the Institut supérieur de la Vigne et du Vin (ISVV)… After a first CIFRE thesis completed in 2012 on « The classification and impact of polyphenols in oak on the quality of wine », Radoux is financing up until 2015 a second thesis in partnership with the Bordeaux Faculty of Oenology on « The impact of polysaccharides and ellagitannins of oak on the quality of wines and spirits ». Radoux also relies on strong partnerships with overseas Universities (South Africa, Spain, USA…) and takes part in various conventions (ASEV, MacroWine, OIV…).

contrôle des douelles
Checking the staves
outil de production Radoux
A high-tech production tool