Collection
Bio
“I think luxury should automatically be about sustainability and quality.”
Jochen Zeitz
Nature is, without a doubt, the most delicate of luxuries.
Sparkling crystal waters, luscious green meadows and golden sunsets are as kind on the eye as it can be.
At Lafitte Bartop, we work hard to preserve this effortless beauty, and our Bio Collection is the supple fruit of that labor.
The Bio Collection is a range of fully biodegradable t-top stoppers.
A cork body - on its own, entirely natural - is embraced by a cork or cornstarch capsule.
Combining compassion for the environment and passion for design, these bar-top stoppers are created to offer a polished finish, resembling plastic or wood, with a captivating texture and a large array of customization options.
BIO COLLECTION
Our Products
Technical Information
-
Description
Natural, multipieces, colmated or agglomerated cork stopper, rounded or chamfered glued to a top (capsule) with hot melt. This capsule can be made of plastic, wood, porcelain, metal, or other materials.
Sizes
27x20mm
27x19.5mm
27x19mm
27x18.5mm
26x19mm
Washing
Washing with a peroxide hydrogen solution, followed by neutralisation, in order to obtain proper disinfection and colour homogenisation. Designation RCP1.
Coating
It can be or not be coated. Water basis coloured coating.
Marking
Marking requested by the client. It may be done using paint or fire for the body and just using fire for the tops. Unless otherwise requested by the client, the registered countermarks RCPi or CR are placed.
Surface Treatment
The surface treatment is carried out in two phases: paraffin and silicone. Designation RCPcap or RCPcsp.
Remarks
Our products and processes comply with the laws and regulations, including the International Code of Cork Stopper Manufacturing Practice and the Portuguese and European legislation for materials and articles intended to come into contact with food.
Packaging
They are packed tightly in LDPE plastic bags with 1.000 cork stoppers, under vacuum, with 0,5 or 1,5 mg/cork stopper of SO2, and placed in cardboard boxes with or without printing.
The amount is usually a box of 3.000 cork stoppers. The cardboard boxes are strapped and/or palletized (wrapped in stretch film). Small amounts can be sent without stretch film.
In the boxes or raffia bags is placed a label with the following information:
— supplier name, customer name, size x class;
— marking (if applicable), lot number, box number, corks amount per box, order number, and other information requested by the client.
When Lafitte Bartop is not responsible for the shipment, another label with the client’s address is placed.
-
Dimensionals
Stopper Length Nominal value ± 0,5 mm
Stopper Diameter Nominal value ± 0,3 mm
Ovality ≤ 0,5mm
Chamfered/Rounded Nominal value ± 0,5mm
Total height Nominal value ± 0,7mm
Exposed height Nominal value ± 0,5mm
Cap external diameter
— Nominal value ± 0,4mm
— Nominal value ± 0,5mm
Cap height
— Nominal value ± 0,4mm
plastic cap, other materials.
— Nominal value ± 0,5mm
wood cap, other natural materials.
Physicals/Mechanicals
Humidity 5% ≤ H ≤ 8%
Absorption ≤ 5%
Dust Content
< 1,5 mg/cork stopper (Flower to 1st);
< 2mg/cork stopper (2nd to 4th and agglomerated bartop);
< 2,5mg/cork stopper (5th,6th and colmated bartop)
Boiling water resistance
— Absence of opening on bonding plan (to multipiece cork stoppers)
— Absence of disintegration (to agglomerated, microagglomerated cork stoppers)
Capillarity < 1 mm
Gluing resistance 100% of cork-covered area
Chemicals
Oxidants
— < 0,2 mg/cork stopper - untreated cork stoppers
— 0 mg/cork stopper - treated cork stoppers
2,4,6 - trichloroanisole (TCA) - ≤2 ng /l
Sensorial
No unusual smells.
Microbiologicals
Number of colonies ≤ 4 UFC/cork stopper
-
Intended use
Bartop cork stoppers to close wines, liqueurs, and other alcoholic beverages with the bottle handling in the vertical position.
Validity
The maximum period that cork stoppers should be kept in stock after the treatment date should not exceed 4 months, in appropriate storage conditions.
This is because sulfur dioxide (SO2), used as an antiseptic and antioxidant, declines over time, increasing the likelihood of microbial contamination.
Transportation recommendations
Making the transport in a closed vehicle, clean, dry, and free of odours. Fluctuations of humidity during transport should be avoided.
Transportation must take preferably cork products, providing that they are free of odours.
It can be transported with other products since they are not toxic and are free of odours.
Storage humidity
The storage relative humidity must be between 40% and 70%.
Storage temperature
The storage temperature must be between 15 ºC and 20ºC.
Other storage recommendations
In the case warehouses don’t present values of moisture and temperature within the recommended ranges, the product should be checked before use.
The cork stoppers should be stored in a dry, clean, and ventilated place and insulated from floors and environments that can somehow transmit odours or flavours. It’s not recommended to use pallets treated with halogenated products – suggestion: heat treatment.
Disinfections should be carried out periodically to all materials that can be a vehicle of contamination. Avoid the use of disinfectants with chlorine.
Treated cork stoppers: once the package is opened, the cork stoppers should be used as soon as possible.If the cork stoppers are not used it is advisable to seal hermetically the bag that contains them and add to it a small amount of an antimicrobial agent such as sulfur dioxide - SO2.
After bottling, during the transport, storage, etc. You should keep the bottles stocked in a vertical position.