Modern Cooperage is Barreling Along
Of all of the potentially soporific topics surrounding the business of making wine – oxidation, maceration, even pectin issues for Lord's sake – there's nothing that will more quickly cause a listener's eyes to glaze over and cross than a discussion about the benefits and challenges winemakers face when aging their grapes in wooden vessels.
And yet, here we are. Because as hollow a topic (don't worry folks, I'm here all week) as wood barrels may appear to be at first glance, there's little that approaches it in terms of the impact it can have on the taste, texture and aroma of mature wine.
"We are just getting to the point as an industry where we understand just how much of an impact different types of wood, treated in different ways, can have on the taste of wine," says Christopher Hansen, general manager of the Napa Valley branch of cooperage Seguin Moreau. Worldwide, the cooperage works with 5000 wineries. "While barrel-aging has been around for centuries, the approach to barrel-aging only really began to change significantly in the past 50 years."
Like many other inventions that have had an outsize impact on human culture (plastic, chocolate chip cookies, penicillin), using barrels to shape, accentuate, deepen or drastically change the aroma, texture and flavor of wine wasn't the result of a lightning stroke of genius but, instead, an accident born from a fumbling attempt to solve a completely different problem.
It all started with a transportation issue about two millennia ago. In the midst of all its looting and plundering, the Roman empire had a habit of absconding with a conquered region's best and brightest tech tools. The Gauls, they noticed, hauled their beer around in wooden barrels and, as the Romans continued to expand northward, they adopted barrels as their vessel of choice for wine transportation purposes, because as any playa knows, thirsty, sober soldiers do not good plunderers make. Wooden barrels were much lighter and less fragile than the amphorae (wax-lined ceramic containers first created in the Neolithic era) they previously used.
Between 50 BC and the first century AD, the wooden barrel became the go-to option for wine storage and portage. Any wood would do, the clueless vintners thought at first.
But after repeated tastes, it became clear that certain woods (primarily oak) suited wine better than others. Over the centuries, a slow, snail-like acquisition of wine barrel basics was absorbed and accepted by the industry's collective unconscious. (I.e. oak-aged barrels add flavors, from vanilla to coconut; they allow wine to breathe, smoothing out flavors, especially astringent notes; they provide an ideal environment for malolactic fermentation, which adds a creamy texture.) Then, about 50 years ago, a renaissance in our understanding of barrel capabilities commenced.
Scientists are able, they claim, to provide a precise, increasingly detailed data on the aroma/texture/flavors that will result when winemakers pair certain varietals with certain types of wood. However, unlike the oversight the AOC, DOCG, DO, etc. provide in terms of where and how grapes can be grown and wine can be produced, there's really no one entity looking over the shoulders of the cooperage industry.
"There's no formal regulation or overseeing body that defines what medium toast, or medium plus, what fine grain or medium grain is," Hansen admits. Not to mention, he adds, the differences in wood harvested from a forest in Appalachia (they produce notes of ripe fruit and toastiness) versus France (they contribute subtle, yet structured tannins that respect the fruit).
We surveyed the latest barrel technology and talked to several winemakers to get a sense of how they're using the latest innovations (or not) in their quest to use wood for better wine.
Scientific revolution
Winemakers, even the ones who are most willing to submit the final taste of their product to Mother Nature and terroir's capricious whims, crave some level of predictability and control. As weather-linked vine-destroying events happen with increasing regularity, winemakers seek out certainty where they can find it.
"We've found that winemakers, especially in the US, are increasingly trying to take the guesswork out of barrel-aging," Hansen says. "We have developed a chemical analysis that identifies the enological potential of different oaks."
While winemakers and cooperages have long been observing interactions, until recently, they depended largely upon their palates and olfactory perceptions for their verdicts. Scientists at Seguin Moreau's ICÔNE program take samples from their oak tree forests and studies them on the molecular level to determine precisely which flavors, textures and aromas certain woods will extract from different varietals of wine.
(Barrel nerds: see Seguin R&D chief Andrei Prida's article on the "Impact of Oak-Derived Compounds on the Olfactory Perception of Barrel-Aged Wines". For those of us who begin to sing JT's latest in our heads when phrases like "furanic compounds", "4-methylguaiacol", or "trans-whisky lactones" are issued in excited tones, simply know that Seguin is on it.)
Seguin isn't the only cooperage striding forth into the new millennium of course. Vicard has also developed a patented barrel bending and toasting system to eliminate variability found with open-pot toasting. These days, Vicard's R&D team is focusing on how specific oak compounds impact tannin levels, lactones, toasted notes and oxidative stability of wine aged in oak.
Hansen admits that despite the developments, there are many traditionalists who choose to eschew data for their palate, tradition and experience.
"A lot of winemakers, especially Old World winemakers, do what their grandfather and great-grandfather did, and don't want to adjust their technique, because they know it worked for them," Hansen says.
So, can hardcore traditionalists be swayed?
Science, tempered with tradition
It would be hard to think of a region with more rigid barrel-aging strictures in place than Rioja. Denominación de Origen Calificada Rioja recently introduced new DOC legislation, tightening the screws around already strict classifications. One of the primary ways Rioja gets officially classified, of course, has always been the manner in which it is aged in oak.
And yet even Rioja has its share of science-forward renegades. MarÃa Barúa, the technical director at Bodegas Lan, says she focuses on blending the best of Rioja's winemaking traditions with the innovations technology affords her.
After graduating from college with a degree in chemistry and enology, Barúa studied the evolution of wine color through the aging process at the Government of Rioja's Research Center. While she was there, she says she became fascinated by the "effects of different types of oak on the wine", noting that French, American, Hungarian, Russian, Spanish and other oaks from different forests, aged and toasted differently can coax "completely different" layers of aroma and flavor.
After joining Lan in 2002, Barúa has pioneered a signature approach to aging Rioja, in a variety of barrels (French, American, Russian and hybrid Oak woods barrels) from several coopers around the world. Barúa's favorite barrel features American Oak staves with French Oak tops and bottoms, Russian Oak bodies.
Still, she says that, unlike what some barrel-sellers may lead you to believe, there's no "secret formula."
"Above all, we find knowing your raw materials intimately, from the grapes to the wood, is the best way to achieve the wine you want," Barúa says.
Stags' Leap's senior winemaker Christophe Paubert agrees that barrels play an important role in winemaking, but issues a note of caution about relying on them too heavily.
"In order to let the fruit and terroir shine, the oak always needs to be in a supporting role," Paubert says. "We only work with coopers who are focused on enhancing the character of our wines, not overshadowing it with additional aromas or flavors."
Terroir on tech
Ashley Heisey, the vice president of winemaking at Napa's Long Meadow Ranch, says barrels can make or break the subtleties of a wine.
"Barrel flavors can enhance, offend or mask underlying terroir-driven flavors of wine," Heisey says. "We exclusively utilize barrels that will enhance a wine's texture and mouthfeel. For example, we may pick Cabernet Sauvignon early to capture sweet fruit notes to capture the terroir we want to express; but this can result in wine that lacks mid-to-late palate phenolic and texture development. A low toast, long-toasted barrel may enhance the wine by providing structure and length."
Larkmead, one of the oldest vineyards in Napa Valley dating back to 1884, aggressively tinkers with its barrel-aging process. The winemaker, Dan Petroski, likens his approach to that of a chef's use of salt and pepper. A building block of flavor, but never something that should dominate.
"When you're trying to be true to your vineyard and its inherent aroma, flavor and textural profile, adding a fourth dimension from a barrel is not what I'm looking for," he explains. "We have spent many years experimenting with different barrels sourced for a variety of forests, several different coopers and toast levels for each vintage."
Larkmead has also compared different ages of wood, production methods (steam bent vs. fire bent barrels) and stave variations (width, wood type). Larkmead has become so invested in barrel experimentation, they now have an in-house cooper. But in the end, despite their dizzying round of experiments, Petroski doesn't have a magic bullet to offer for even one particular type of barrel for one type of grape.
"The barrel we love for our Cabernet doesn't have the same influence on Cabernet from other vineyards in Napa," Petroski says. "I've tasted friends' wines who have aged Cabernets in barrels made from the same material by the same people, and the result is different. Terroir matters."
Winemakers, like chefs, depend on their ingredients as much as their recipe. Producers are building flavors from the varietals they select, the terroir they're grown in, the techniques they deploy and the barrels they're aged in. As with cooking, winemakers have increasingly complex and pricey tools at their disposal to create memorable wines that will stand out on the crowded shelves.
Can a fancy barrel make a bad wine good? Nope. But cooperages employing teams of scientists to analyze the molecules of wood for its enological potential can do more to help winemakers mask off flavors, smooth out jagged edges and coax out those shy layers of covetable terroir hiding in the back, now more than ever.
Industry pros share top grape-barrel picks:
As documented above, barrel and wine pairing options are as arguably boundless and perhaps ultimately as subjective as cheese and wine pairing options. I mean, you could age your Cabernet with meteorite bits, electrocute it or sink in a harbor just to see what happens (or pair Cheez Wiz with some Screaming Eagle, for that matter). Or you could see what some of the industry's most successful wine-barrel enthusiasts are up to.
Bodegas Lan: For their Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva, featuring Tempranillo grapes with a touch of Graciano and Mazuelo, they are aged in mixed American and French oak. For Lan D12, 100 percent Tempranillo in new American and French casts. For Lan's estate wines, they use blends of Tempranillo, Graciano and Mazuelo aged in French and Russian barrels.
Stags' Leap: French oak for most wines, except Petite Sirah, where American Oak is used. "American oak's spiciness, which could overwhelm a delicate wine, is easily handled by our Napa Valley Petite Sirah, as well as our estate-grown Ne Cede Malis Petite Sirah, sourced from vines dating back to 1929," says winemaker Christophe Paubert. The Petite Sirah spends 16 months in American oak, 28 percent of which are new.
Long Meadow: The Chardonnay spends a few days in stainless steel for primary fermentation, then 25 percent gets moved to new French Oak for 12-18 months. Same with the Pinot Noir and Cabernet.
Vina Robles: Paso Robles' Vina Robles Cabernet Sauvignon is put in stainless steel, pressed and racked in barrels to complete fermentation. The majority is aged in French oak, with a smattering of American and Hungarian oak for added nuances. For the 2013 vintage, Petit Verdot was added after 8 months to enhance the wine’s structure. From there, it was aged an additional 12 months in mixed barrels. The Petite Sirah Estate was also aged for a total of 20 months in a mixture of primarily French, but some American and Hungarian oak barrels.
Pedroncelli: Sonoma County's Pedroncelli ages its Courage Zinfandel in American oak barrels for 16 months; its Red Blend gets 10 months in new and seasoned American oak (25 percent new), and its Petite Sirah gets stores in small American oak barrels (one-third new) for 15.
Biale Vineyards: The Party Line North Coast Zinfandel is aged in 100 percent Burgundy oak barrels, 25 percent of which are new, for 11 months. The 2015 E.B.A. Petite Sirah is aged in Burgundian oak, 20 percent of which is new for 30 months.
Theopolis Vineyards: The Yorkville Highlands Pinot Noir is aged in French oak for 11 months; the Petite Sirah spends 22 months aging in 25 percent new and 75 percent neutral French oak.
Stemmari: Winemaker Lucio Matricardi says he smooths the edges of the jagged tannins in his Riserva Nero d'Avola with a blend of French and American Oak; the Grillo gets aged in staineless steel and the Voignier is aged in three-year-old lightly toasted barriques for Stemmari's Dalila. The Nero d'Avola and Cabernet are matured in French Oak separately and then blended together and aged for an additional four months in barriques for Stemmari's Cantodoro.
Seguin Moreau: Of the 80,000 barrels produced annually, the most popular by far is tight-grained French Oak.
On barrel alternatives: All of the pros Wine-Searcher spoke to agreed that at this point, using oak chips or even larger staves sans barrel to impart oak flavors like toast, smoke and caramel still can't compete with barrels. The surface area isn't there, and even with techniques like micro-oxygenation, which adds specific amounts of oxygen to wine over a period of time, the results aren't quite the same. Still, the difference is minimal enough to push budget-minded winemakers (a single barrel can run $900) to consider cheaper alternatives.
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