ANGELSHARE
Decipher the Angel’s Share
Scientific responsibility :
- Alain Brunelle
- Véronique Eparvier
Methodological axes :
Thematic fields :
Funding :
- DIM PAMIR
Project ID : IDF-DIM-PAMIR-2023-4-001
Summary :
The ANGELSHARE project aims to study, using mass spectrometry imaging, the growth and interaction of the opportunistic fungus, Baudoinia compniacensis, with the wood of very old barrels, more than a hundred years old. This microorganism, which grows in the aging cellars of eaux-de-vie in the Cognac region, but also near distilleries, and also in other wine-growing and alcohol-producing regions, is responsible for the blackening of the interior walls and exteriors. It is reputed to grow in the presence of the ever-present alcohol vapors, which are commonly referred to as the Angels’ Share. It is said that it does not interact with young oak woods, but very aged woods are always all found blackened like their surroundings. This interaction, if it takes place, can have a long-term influence on the taste qualities of the alcohols contained, and its knowledge concerns the material heritage of these old barrels as well as the immaterial heritage of the traditional know-how of the production sector of the cognac.
