RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

 

For over a century LAFFORT has pioneered many scientific developments in the wine industry. In order to ensure the continuity of innovation, research and development, the dedicated laboratory SARCO was founded in 1991. SARCO is a cutting-edge research facility staffed by career professional researchers, doctoral students and technicians, underpinned by major research collaborations with the Universities of Bordeaux and Montpellier. The SARCO facility has an overriding mission: to solve challenges encountered by winemakers worldwide.

Current research programs in SARCO encompass such areas as wine aroma and flavour analysis and characterisation, yeast selection, the evaluation and development of new clarification and fining agents, novel treatments for protein and tartrate stabilisation, and the development of specific microbiological activators of fermentation and comprehensive investigations of bacteria, enzymes and tannins. As a direct result of its continuous investment in research, LAFFORT enjoys a significant competitive advantage in the global marketplace. Through SARCO Laffort Oenologie provides:
• an extensive range of winemaking products
• novel techniques and oenological advice
• total and continual quality assurance
• a greater understanding of winemaking phenomena
• process optimisation

 

Yeasts
Through its strong association with the Faculty of Oenology at the University of Bordeaux SARCO has strategically developed a method of breeding crossed-strain yeasts in order to enhance Laffort’s Zymaflore and Actiflore ranges of yeasts. The process is not genetic modification, but rather represents an acceleration of natural yeast crossings of species such as S cerevisiae with S. uvarum, chosen from an extensive yeast library. Criteria investigated include aspects of fermentation behaviour, such as fermentation kinetics for processing efficiency and metabolite and aroma production for organoleptic considerations, with the aim of ensuring that desirable oenological outcomes are achieved in a consistent manner.

State of the art equipment underpins SARCO’s success in these areas, such as genetic identification and characterisation using PCR/RFLP, Pulsed Field Electrophoresis with AND chip, and the identification of odorous molecules using GC/MS. Fermentation kinetics are analysed using both laboratory experiments at SARCO and production-scale experiments in the experimental winery.

 

Bacteria
Our bacterial research programs focus on several areas, including the selection of new strains of Oe. Oeni, with targets of enhanced performance and consistency coupled with an examination of metabolism and nutrition. High-performing bacterial candidates are subjected to further testing in the areas of genetic profiling, the absence of deterioration metabolism, and organoleptic impacts. Particular attention is paid to ensuring the resistance of strains to the various physiochemical conditions and microbial interactions encountered in the wine matrix. These research programs have led to the development of a new activator nutrient, Malostart™, which promotes the survival and multiplication of lactic acid bacteria under difficult winemaking conditions. As in our yeast research programs, Laffort microbiologists use the latest techniques to achieve the goals of our customers.

 

Enzymes
Enzymes are specialised proteins that function as biological catalysts in several areas of winemaking. They are natural tools that function in a very specific manner at the molecular level, and can vastly improve wine quality and the economy of production. Enzymes can improve the outcomes of maceration, settling, clarification, pressing, aging and filtration. Laffort’s enzymes are extracted from non-GMO fungi such as Aspergillus niger and Trichoderma harzianum, and are subsequently highly purified for significantly improved activity and specificity.

Laffort’s enzymes have various yet specific applications, encompassing pectinases (polygalacturonases, pectin-esterases, pectin-lyases) and beta-gluconases, with some subtle incorporation of hemi-cellulases and cellulase to achieve desired outcomes. In collaboration with the Dansih company Novozymes and the Faculty of Oenology at the University of Bordeaux, SARCO develops enzymatic preparations specifically crafted for wine production. Laffort’s enzymatic research is based on two main principals: the optimisation of formulations according to various parameters such as grape variety, stage of maturity, and the desired winestyle, and the tailoring of products to specific winemaking processes.

Eznymatic research and product development permits easier and more efficient production of specific winestyles, such as wines made for aging, wines with enhanced fruit characters or Rosé wine. Initial experiments are conducted in the laboratory but those that show potential are scaled up and re-examined in production facilities with several grape varieties, in various locations and under a range of winemaking conditions to ensure real-world feasibility.

Current enzymatic research programs include the sponsorship of a doctoral thesis on aromatic maturation, including characterisation of the aromatic precursors in wine and the enzymatic mechanisms responsible for aroma release. Additionally, a new study is examining the mechanisms of the enzymatic extraction of phenolic compounds such as anthocyanins and tannins, including consideration of the flavours produced during maceration.

 

Colloids
In concert with its active research programs encompassing yeast, bacteria and enzymes, SARCO is continually investigating colloids. The task of the colloids group is to develop new oenological tools based on the primary research conducted in Laffort’s SARCO laboratory. The work from two doctoral theses, completed by Virginie Moine (1996) and Anne Humbert (2003), coupled with the current project of Benedicte Laborde, has directly led to several revolutionary products. Much of this work has focused on the positive aspects of lees aging, such as increased protein and tartrate stability, and positive organoleptic impacts. The identification of the active molecular species at the heart of these phenomena (mannoproteins in the case of protein and tartrate stability, and polypeptides in the case of mouthfeel and sweetness enhancements), using analytical techniques such as HPLC and capillary eletrophoresis, has led to the exciting new commercial products Mannostab™ and Biolees ™.

 

Chips and Oak Alternatives

Oak chips are new oenological products which offer a large variability of aromatic profiles for medium wines. Those profiles depend of the origin of the wood, the ageing and the toasting. Because they could be used in vinification and ageing, our research activities are not only based on a better understanding of the wood and wine interaction : micro organisms effect (yeasts, bacteria) on the revelation of aromas precursors (furfural, vanilla) but also towards the development of vinification and ageing guide lines according to type of vine, wine maturity and required style. The technic used by Sarco laboratory to quantify the wood component (cis et trans methyloctalacton, gaïacol, eugenol…) is gas chromatography. Those dosages allow us to be precise in the development of winemaking guide lines but also ensure a reproducible industrial process. Currently, we work with a product manager and a technician; concerning the selection of wood, we collaborate with the unit of R & D of the Chêne Company & Co.

 

Research