Merrandier Canadell - Supplier Spotlight

Trie-Sur-Baïse - Midi-Pyrenées, France

The premium portfolio of French oak adjuncts offered by Canadell, a completely vertically integrated fourth-generation family-owned company provides winemakers with consistent tools for wineries producing premium price point but also everyday value wines. Time and time again, Canadell customers stress the quality, consistency, elegance, and barrel-like nature of Canadell oak for enology. 

History

In 1939, Lauriano Canadell from Catalonia Spain escaped Franco's regime and installed himself in Southern France. His journey in the French Oak industry started in the firewood and charcoal industries but soon after his son Jacques Sr. joined, they were selling higher quality oak to furniture makers and cooperages and founded their first workshop in Trie-Sur-Baïse. 

Jacques Jr. Canadell

 In 1970 Jacques Jr. joined the company, and emboldened his family's DNA of being a forest operator and "merrandier" - cooperage stave producer. The family company increased its forestry activity in Central France and the Parisian region and created its second stave production supply hub in Ully-Saint-Georges right outside of Paris. 

Today - Frédéric Canadell 

In 1999 Fourth generation Frédéric joined the family company and is the current CEO. Frédéric focused the company towards the cooperage industry through cooperage acquisitions in Burgundy, new cooperage startups in Southern France as well as the creation of an oenological line of premium French Oak adjuncts: CANADELL. 

The Raw Material 

Canadell works with only 100% cooperage-grade French Oak Quercus SP duramen with full traceability to PEFC standards and HACCP certification. Via a team of ten experienced buyers, Canadell visits, estimates, and negotiates purchases in France's most prestigious forest regions encompassing the Centre of France, Picardy, Île de France, Vosges, Loire and Normandy which translates to a volume of forty-two thousand cubic meters of oak purchased annually throughout France. For Canadell's adjunct line, these forests are blended to create a consistent homogenous product that can be reproduced from year to year. 

Stave Production

Canadell's headquarters remain based in Trie-sur-Baïse in South West France however, staves for enology are processed both at Canadell's Trie and Ully production sites and then used internally or sold to France's most prestigious cooperages. Together, both sites include 100 employees.  At the core of both production sites is the human eye and an artisanal "savoir-faire" that can only be acquired through years of experience and a true passion and respect for French oak, a noble material in itself. 

Sustainability & Attestations

Canadell is certified by the program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), a leading global alliance of national forest certification systems. They are also a sponsor of the "ONF-AGIR" fund (Office National des Forêts - React) which is committed to preserving France's forests to ensure their sustainability and help mitigate the negative impacts of climate change. 

Adjuncts for Enology

Initiated in 2000, Canadell delivers a full range of premium oak products that are classically made through fire or convection toasting. Canadell ensures the quality and consistency of its oak adjuncts by overseeing the entire manufacturing process, from selecting trees in the forest to seasoning, fabricating, toasting, and packaging. This 100% vertical integration gives winemakers full traceability and confidence in the impact its oak will have on their wine and products. 

Fermentation Oak Chips

Untoasted and toasted chips are the indispensable tool for a quick and efficient aromatic extraction. They are a flexible and economical method for oak extraction and contribution during fermentation and / or aging. They help add structure to wines, increase length and contribute tannin and color stability.

Dominos

Dominos are perfect for the fermentation of whites and post fermentation aging of reds or whites. Due to their size and format, they are perfect for short aging and contribute oak flavors and aromas that are comparable to CANADELL'S staves. 

Barrel Bung Inserts

The bung inserts are to be inserted through the bung of the barrel and are available in different toast profiles. The results are barrel-like and intended for longer aging processes. Bung insert trials allow for the perfect opportunity to get familiar with CANADELL'S high quality oak profile. 

Tank Staves

Offered in a variety of both fire and convection toasts, CANADELL'S staves are extremely barrel-like with the fire-toasted staves showing more complexity and roundness on the palate while convection-toasted staves are more subtle and show better integration early on.

Why Canadell? 

The premium portfolio of French oak adjuncts offered by Canadell, a completely vertically integrated fourth-generation family-owned company provides winemakers with consistent tools for wineries producing premium price point but also everyday value wines. Time and time again, Canadell customers stress the quality, consistency, elegance, and barrel-like nature of Canadell oak for enology.