Experiments were performed to evaluate an extraction process developed in our laboratory called the instantaneous controlled pressure drop process (Detente Instantanee Controlee or (DIC)) for extracting volatile compounds from oak wood. This process involves subjecting oak chips for a short time (10s to 12min) under a steam pressure (1 to 6 bars or from 100 to 165 degrees C). This first step is followed by a rapid decompression toward vacuum (up to 50mbar). Some parameters were evaluated: steam pressure level, processing time, initial moisture content, chips thickness and velocity of the rapid decompression. A preliminary experimental design allowed optimizing the processing pressure and processing time: 6bar and 5 minutes. Under these conditions, the optimal conditions were as follows: 20% for initial moisture content, 0.5mm for the chips thickness. The number of decompressions towards vacuum was also investigated and it appeared that extraction yield can be enhanced by repeating the decompressions cycles for a same processing time. Moreover, GC-MS analysis indicated that DIC extract included the same molecules that obtained by steam distillation with almost the same percentages.