The French Oak Barrel

The magical tale of how a simple piece of oak becomes the keystone of a magnificent story of wine

A successful barrel starts out its existence from a special moment: when the professional eye takes in the fine grain of oak nearly two centuries old, and when a practiced hand ascertains the quality of bark, the fibre, and the tannins.

The cooper’s gift is to be able to judge, select and anticipate. A look at the soil enables him to evaluate the oak’s growth rate and the resulting fineness of the grain. All of these parameters have a direct influence on the wood’s structure and texture. He takes great pains to make an extremely careful selection of wood to meet the specific needs (physical, chemical, etc…) of each wine. The cooper is able to find just the right quality of oak for just the right wine...your wine.

French Oak Profile

Appreciated for its complexity and undeniable quality. Complex aromatic components with impressions of sweet woodiness and smoky toast, that provide building blocks to wine structure while providing a lingering depth developing refined and expansive tannins.

• Sweet wood, toasted almond
• Grilled meat, slight bacon
• Smoky & spicy, cinnamon
• Cigar box – more prominent at medium toast
• Mocha, espresso-like tannins, chocolate
• Structure builds mid-palate and length due to fire bending techniques that penetrate the toast deep into the inner stave
• Expansive
• Integrates gradually throughout wine development
• Showcases the fruit