PURIFIED ENZYMES: A QUALITATIVE ADVANTAGE

 

Industrial enzymatic preparations are produced from micro-organisms containing various activities (both main and secondary) necessary to their adaptability to the natural medium. Among these activities some are very undesirable in oenology, such as cinnamoyl esterase activity (or cinnamyl esterase).
LAFFORT OENOLOGIE made the choice to offer purified enzymes whenever necessary and possible. Therefore, these preparations ensure a better retention of the primary characteristics of the grapes and sensory qualities of the wine.
Enzymatic preparations produced by LAFFORT OENOLOGIE are also especially formulated for the specific treatment of musts and wines. The different enzyme formulations take into account the various applications available in oenology and help the winemaker to optimise the process and the quality of the wine.

ENZYMES LOW IN CINNAMOYL-ESTERASE ACTIVITY

During winemaking of white and rosé wines, a double enzymatic reaction can occur producing unwanted compounds: vinyl-phenols. Volatile phenols give undesirable pharmaceutical smells to wine.
Even at low concentration, they can mask desirable aromas, decrease the wine’s soundness and make the wine less elegant and flavourful. To avoid their production, two options are available for the winemaker:
- The use of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast strains with “Phenol Off Flavour(-)” or POF(-) character without cinnamate decarboxylase activity, which leads to low levels of vinyl-phenols. Few strains of this POF(-) yeast type are available (eg. ZYMAFLORE VL1, ZYMAFLORE VL2);
- The use of purified enzymes with low cinnamoyl esterase activity (eg. LAFAZYM EXTRACT, LAFAZYM PRESS or LAFAZYM CL). These enzymatic preparations permit a larger choice of yeast strains as they prevent the production of vinyl-phenols (4-vinylphenol and 4-vinylguaiacol).
In red winemaking, wines can sometimes develop a volatile phenol character (described variously as mousy, stable, barnyard, horsy, band-aid, medicinal etc) due to ethylphenols. In red wines, the cinnamate decarboxylase activity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is inhibited by phenolic compounds (tannins), but not the activity of that enzyme in the presence of contaminating yeast such as Brettanomyces or its sporulating equivalent Dekkera. These contaminating yeasts transform free phenolic acids from the must into vinylphenols that are reduced to ethylphenols by another enzyme, vinylphenol reductase. The use of a purified preparation of cinnamoyl esterase prevents the formation of volatiles phenols in the case of contamination by Brettanomyces/Dekkera.

ENZYMES LOW IN ANTHOCYANASE ACTIVITIES (for red and rosé wines)

 

Recent studies have demonstrated the negative role in oenology of anthocyanase present in certain industrial enzymatic preparations. This enzyme releases insoluble and unstable anthocyanin aglycones during the extraction phase and/or maceration treatments. The use of non-purified enzymatic preparations that contain anthocyanases can destabilise wine pigmentation and cause a loss of colour in red and rosé wines.
LAFASE HE GRAND CRU and LAFASE FRUIT are two enzymatic preparation purified from anthocyanase activity in order to preserve colour potential in red and rosé wines and to maintain maximal stability of phenolic compounds extracted.

LAFFORT ŒNOLOGIE Enzymes range

MACERATION IN RED WINEMAKING

 

Lafase HE Grand Cru: for traditional long macerations with or without pre-fermentative maceration to produce structured wines for aging, with intense colour and elegant tannins.
Favours the extraction of more stable phenolics (anthocyanins and more polymerised tannins), aromas and corresponding aroma precursors.
Dosage : 3-5 g/100 kg (30-50 ppm)

 

Lafase Fruit: used to produce fruit driven wines with good colour, palate roundness designed for early consumption. Specifically designed for rapid macerations with or without cold soaking, allowing a soft extraction of polyphenols and a reduction mechanical processing requirements.
Dosage : 3-5 g/100 kg (30-50 ppm)

 

Lafase HE: optimised acceleration of the extraction of polyphenolic compounds from the skins. The enzyme delivers improved clarification and an increased yield of free-run juice.
Dosage : 3-5 g/100 kg (30-50 ppm)

 

Optizym: fast extraction and clarification of juices.
Dosage : 4-5 g/100 kg (40-50 ppm)

CLARIFICATION IN RED WINEMAKING

 

Lafase 60: allows the fast and efficient clarification of red juices. Decreases the viscosity of musts and improves the quality of pressings juices.
Dosage: Free-run juice : 0.5-1 g/hL (5-10 ppm) and Pressing juice : 1-3 g/hL (10-30 ppm)

 

Lafase Clarification: clarification of both free-run and pressings juices.
Dosage: 2-4 g/hL (20-40 ppm)

 

Lafase Thermo: preparation specific to the clarification of juices obtained by thermolytic treatment (Flash-detente, flash thermolysis). Permits the degradation of pectin chains and better stability of extracted phenolic compounds. This preparation is used to reconstitute the enzymatic pool of the grape degraded by the thermo treatment. Used on cooled juices (<50°C).
Dosage: 3-5 g/hL (30-50 ppm)

 

MACERATION IN WHITE WINEMAKING

 

Lafazym Extract: specific for the skin maceration of white grapes at low temperature for the extraction of aroma precursors and varietal aromas with a reduced maceration time.
Dosage: 2-3 g/100 kg (20-30 ppm)

 

Lafazym Press: Increases the efficiency of pressing; efficient at low pressure: delivers a higher volume of free-run juice, optimises the extraction of aromatic precursors, and preserves the varietal characters (low phenolic extraction). It also helps to shorten the pressing cycle (which delivers greater time and cost efficiencies). Used on grapes whilst filling up the press.
Dosage: 2-5 g/100 kg (20-50 ppm)

 

Optizym: Rapid extraction and clarification of juices.
Dosage: 3-4 g/100 kg (30-40 ppm)

 

CLARIFICATION IN WHITE WINEMAKING

 

Lafazym CL: Intense clarification, rapid settling of white and rosé juices. This concentrated preparation of pectolytic enzymes hydrolyses pectins from grapes.
Dosage in white: 0.5-1 g/hL (5-10 ppm) and rosé: 1-2 g/hL (10-20 ppm)

 

Lafase Clarification: Improves settling of white juices.
Dosage: 2-4 g/hL (20-40 ppm)

 

AGING AND FILTRATION

 

Extralyse: Preparation of pectinases and (exo-1,3)beta-glucanases specific for use in lees aging. Accelerates and improves yeast autolysis releasing more molecules from the yeast. These autolysis compounds increase roundness, sweetness, softness and the complexity of wines. It also reduces the number of microorganisms in suspension.
Dosage: 3 g/hL in white (30 ppm) and 5g/hL in red (50 ppm)

 

Filtrozym : Preparation of pectinases and (exo-1,3)beta-glucanases that hydrolyses colloids (grape pectins, glucans from yeasts, Botrytis and bacterial colloids) that can cause filtration difficulties. Optimises clarification and filtration of red and white wines. Reduces filtration requirements and allows more efficient preparation of wines before bottling.
Dosage: 3 g/hL in white (30 ppm) and 5g/hL in red (50 ppm)

AROMA RELEASE

Lafazym Arom: Pectinase preparation with beta-glucosidase activities to favour the aroma expression of terpenes in white wines (Muscat, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Chenin blanc etc.).
Dosage: 5 g/hL (50 ppm)

 

OTHER ACTIVITY AVAILABLE

Lysosyme : used in musts or wines as an inhibitor of lactic acid bacteria to avoid malolactic fermentation.

 

 

Purification levels

 

 

 

Enzymes