Selecting & Buying > Storage of cork planks > Preparation > Punching > De-aromatisation > Analyses > Finish > Inspection > Shipping
Bourrassé’s cork closure solutions are the direct result of the transformation of a natural and renewable resource – the bark of the Quercus Suber oak tree.
Farming the oak helps maintain biodiversity and a local industry and aligns with the requirements of sustainability.
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SELECTING AND BUYING THE CORK
Three teams of buyers visit and select cork all year round for the following year’s harvest.
The work involves observation and taking samples so that any cork contamination can be immediately eliminated. Prevention is an integral part of Bourrassé’s expertise in manufacturing cork closures.
Sustainably managed natural resources
Cork: a 100% bio-based material, cork is comprised of cells that constantly strive to return to their original volume, lending them an ‘elastic memory’ that remains dynamic over time.
Water: Bourrassé is self-sufficient in water. Filtered before use, it is also treated at our facilities in Portugal (SOCORI) before being returned to nature.
Energy: the Bourrassé group has based its energy policy on sustainability. The steam used at every stage of production is produced by generators fuelled by cork dust that is derived from the production of cork closures.
In ideal conditions on an 8-hectare site:
• Water drainage;
• Ventilation and continual drying of the cork planks.
To guarantee the hygiene and health of the cork throughout the entire storage period.
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PREPARATION
Removal of the base cork: avoids any risk of potential contamination
Dynamic boiling: cleans the cork planks in constantly circulating boiling water
Appearance: the raw material is analysed and the planks dispatched depending on their quality
Autoclaving: the cork planks are sterilised using a process involving pressurisation then depressurisation in order to extract the volatile organic compounds
Stabilisation: rest period in a germicidal atmosphere before the so-called ‘closure-worthy’ planks are punched
The planks are punched using a mechanical punch.
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DE-AROMATISATION
VAPOSECUR® for the natural closures and cork disks
*TCA : 2.4.6 Trichloroanisole relargable
**COV : composés organo volatils
VORTEX® for the granulates
*TCA : 2.4.6 Trichloroanisole relargable
**COV : composés organo volatils
Supercritical CO2 process for the CRISTAL micro cork range (still wines)
Systematic analyses of the leachable chloroanisoles carried out at a determined frequency (control of a 2,4,6 TCA content ≤ predefined ceiling value).
At the same time, an individual sensory check is carried out on each batch of natural corks and cork discs in order to validate the nature, consistency and intensity of the aromatic profile.
[…] RECTIFICATION – WASHING – RINSING […]
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Sorting & Finish
Visual selection which ensures category regularity, guaranteeing the consistent and harmonious performance of the closure during the wine’s storage.
Branding: Fire, ink or laser
Surface coating tailored to individual requirements