{"id":8436,"date":"2020-11-17T17:42:03","date_gmt":"2020-11-17T16:42:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.blanville.com\/?p=8436"},"modified":"2020-11-17T17:42:29","modified_gmt":"2020-11-17T16:42:29","slug":"aging-with-wooden-barrels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.blanville.com\/en\/magazine\/aging-with-wooden-barrels\/","title":{"rendered":"Aging with wooden barrels"},"content":{"rendered":"
The use of wooden barrels in wine has existed since Roman times. Its use was then above all practical, to transport wine by boat more easily than with amphorae. It\u2019s only much later that the winegrowers discovered that the barrel influenced the aging of the wine. So what does this famous wooden barrel add to our wines? Let’s find out together in this article!<\/span><\/div>\n
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1 – The different types of vinification and aging in wine.<\/h3>\n

Once the harvest is over, the time comes for vinification and then aging. Different containers can be used for this crucial step, but the most common ones are the tank and the wooden barrel. Some winegrowers use more ancestral techniques that are gradually coming back, such as amphora, but this remains anecdotal. Carmes Haut-Brion honors those traditional containers in their modern version, as can be seen in their brand-new cellar<\/a> designed by Philippe Stark.<\/p>\n

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For red wines, the vinification is usually operated in concrete, oak, stainless steel or fiber vats. The grapes ferment until the sugar is completely converted into alcohol. Then they macerate in their juice for several days or weeks according to the profile the winemaker wants to give to its wine. For instance, in Blanville, the maceration period for our single-parcel wines depends on the vintage, but it usually lasts a minimum of three weeks.<\/p>\n

Once the maceration is considered long enough, we can drain the vats and decide where to age the wine: in vat or in wooden barrel? This decision will depend on what profile is expected for the cuv\u00e9e, taking into consideration the age of the vines and the grape variety.<\/p>\n

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For white wines, finishing the alcoholic fermentation in wooden barrels has proven to be an interesting technic: it creates fullness and complexity, and provides a specific aromatic profile to your wine. Although this technic is becoming rare, it is still being used in the Burgundy and Bordeaux regions, as well as in Blanville, where we have been fermenting our white wines in barrels for many years. And the results are more than conclusive! As an example, take a taste at our cuv\u00e9e \u201cJardins d’Albisson\u201d, which was just awarded 2 stars in the Guide Hachette 2021!<\/p>\n

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Good to know: Ch\u00e2teau de l’Ou, with its cuv\u00e9e \u201cInfiniment Rouge\u201d,<\/a> offers a red wine entirely vinified in wooden barrels, which is very rare! Each year, once the alcoholic fermentation is over, and after skins have been removed, the barrels are closed by the cooper to begin aging.<\/p>\n

2 – Which type of aging profile for which?<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re looking for a fruity wine, providing freshness thanks to a touch of acidity, and not intended to be kept for years in your cellar, the vat is then recommended: this is called \u201cneutral aging\u201d, with the stainless steel being perfectly hermetical and not providing any external aroma.<\/p>\n

On the contrary, if you wish to bring complexity and fullness, and create long-aging wines with complex aromatic profiles, it is better to turn to aging in wooden barrels, also called \u201cnon-neutral\u201d aging.<\/p>\n

Wooden barrel will bring three main characteristics:<\/p>\n