AFTER 39 VINTAGES OF WINEMAKEING I HAVE A FEW THINGS TO SAY. SOME FROM A PROFESSIONAL PERSPECTIVE, SOME FORM A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE, ALL TO BE TAKEN AS GOSPEL OR ANECDOTAL........YOUR CHOICE
AFTER 39 VINTAGES OF WINEMAKEING I HAVE A FEW THINGS TO SAY. SOME FROM A PROFESSIONAL PERSPECTIVE, SOME FORM A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE, ALL TO BE TAKEN AS GOSPEL OR ANECDOTAL........YOUR CHOICE
Having been there for 40 vintages using French oak barrels in my winemaking endeavors, the journey back selling barrels for Maison Louis Latour and creating my own custom coopered barrel brand has been satisfying, to say the least.
French oak forests were planted by royal decree in 1650. The goal was to supply oak timber for the French Navy. In 1789 after the French Revolution, the forests were taken over by the public and have been planted and maintained since.
There are two types of European oak suitable for making barrels, Quercus robur commonly known as “English Oak” and, Quercus petraea, commonly known as “Sessile oak”. Robur oaks tend to prefer more fertile, well-drained soils and can tolerate a variety of growing conditions. Petraea oaks are often found on less fertile, acidic soils in upland or mountainous regions. Both these species are evenly mixed throughout the forests of France, Hungary, and Central Europe.
Quercus alba, or American oak has a much coarser grain offering a more simplistic vanillin tannin fingerprint. Since I hate wine tasting like bourbon, this will be my last mention of Quercus alba!
I have used Louis Latour barrels for 30 vintages of winemaking and was lucky to have a personal relationship with the Domain's wine sales agent, so when the opportunity presented itself to sell their barrels it just felt right. I also took the opportunity to create my badge of barrels, “IQ barriques”. For the IQ barrels, I chose to work with Limousin oak or Quercus robur for the project. During the 70’s and 80’s in California, Limousin oak was a prevalent selection from French coopers. Resulting wines like the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay set the bar for oak influence in the nascent industry. The oak was mostly paired with a medium plus (fast) toast, resulting in a blistered barrel that represented more toast than oak. In subsequent years coopers refined their toasting in favor of slower, lower, longer heat to achieve a broader choice of finishes. They also started to focus on forests of origin and selection by grain leaving Limousin oak behind for use in the spirits industry. Based on my early winemaking with Limousin oak, filtered through years of experience I am bringing it back better than ever as a best representation of French oak. Working with Jean Christophe Varron of Tonnellerie Vinea drawing on his innovative use of ceramic toast and hydro steam bending we are transforming yesterday’s Limousin oak barrel into today’s best of-class.
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