Contribution of oak lignans to wine taste: chemical identification, sensory characterization and quantification

The modification of wine taste during oak ageing is due to the release of non-volatile compounds from wood. Among these molecules, some lignans have been previously described as exhibiting bitterness. However, the lack of knowledge concerning this class of compounds in oak wood led us to explore both their structural diversity and their sensory properties. Nine lignans were isolated from extracts of Quercus petraea oak heartwood. Among them, one new compound called quercoresinol was identified and four other molecules were described for the first time in Quercus genus. The presence of these lignans in oaked wine was then established and their gustatory properties were evaluated. Lyoniresinol was the bitterest compound with a detection threshold of 1.5 mg/L. An LC–HRMS quantitative method was performed to study the influence of oenological practices on lyoniresinol concentration in wine.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide