For any wine lover, a trip to Burgundy is a magical experience. Driving along the narrow roads through the vineyards and seeing the rows of world-renown wine makers side by side is exhilarating. The fact that the vines are just there, on the side of the road with no fence, no security, is amazing. This is the case for all the growers, including for Romanee-Conti. Amazing! There are also no fences between the vines and that a parcel of land could include just one row. The vines are trellised reasonably low compared to many other wine regions. It was all very fascinating to observe.
In February 2023, whilst in Burgandy, we had the wonderful opportunity to explore a number of wine villages along the Cote de Beaune. We complemented our widespread wine tasting with visiting one of the coopers, that make the French oak barrels to be shipped all over the world.
We were lucky enough to visit Tonnellerie Francos Freres in Saint Romain, and for the Managing Director, Max Gigandet, to personally provide us with our own tour of their operations. Max was incredibly generous with his time; the sharing of his knowledge and expertise; along with providing us with the opportunity to explore all areas of their operations. It was amazing to see firsthand all the steps in the process that to this day are all hand made. Wow, what a truly wonderful experience.
Prior to our visit, when I had heard the term ‘French Oak Barrell’ I mistakenly assumed that this would be a fairly homogenous product …. How wrong could I be!
There is a code on each barrel and these provide a form of tracking system of the cooperage that can be used by winemakers when selecting the most appropriate barrel for each wine, as the wood and how it has been made will ultimately affect the flavour, aroma and tannin structure of the wine that is stored in the barrel.
The key components of the barrel code are:
Cooperage Name, the maker of the barrel
Forest of Origin, indicates where the oak was sourced which dictates the tightness of the grain and the tannin profile:
- Allier, has a fine grain and is known for subtle vanilla and soft spice;
- Troncais, has an extremely fine grain and is often used for premium, delicate wines;
- Vosges, has a medium-fine grain, and imparts spice and toast;
- Nevers has a fine grown and is known for its balanced, sweet spice;
- Limousin has a coarser grain, and is used more for spirits and robust reds due to its high tannin
Toast Level, indicates how heavily the inside of the barrel was toasted over a fire
- LT (light): subtle, nutty
- MT (medium): balanced caramel, vanilla, and spice
- MT+ or M+ (medium plus): Intense toast, commonly used for high-end reds
- HT (heavy): Smoky, high-intensity flavour
Seasoning/Aging Time: how long the wood was dried before being made into a barrel, often 24, 36, or 48 months. The longer the seasoning often signifies the higher the quality.
Production Year: the year the barrel was constructed
Capacity/Type: this is usually 225L (Bordeaux) or 228L (Burgundy)
This insight has provided much food for thought when considering the most appropriate barrels to make our Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. (2023)
