+ A Cooperage for Champagne: Which Barrel Can You Choose??

Given that our cooperage is located at the gates of the region “Champagne”, in the north of Burgundy, we are naturally exposed to the demand of Champagne winemakers who wish to vinify cuvees of Champagne in oak barrels.

Champagne in oak barrel: choose a wood with extra fine grains. We suggest to the winemakers of Champagne to always use an oak wood with extra fine grains, and with an aromatic and very delicate toasting of the barrel (or “bousinage”) which will respect the subtlety of the wine. Our range of barrels Cavin Aphrodite utterly suits this type of use.

The wood from these barrels come a 100% from the Châtillonnais terroir, a nearby forest of Champagne, which produces perfect oak trees for cooper’s products. Thanks to the climate and soil, this raw material offers a great aromatic subtlety, without imposing the characteristics (sometimes too strong) of the coldest and northern forests.

+ What Are the Different Capacities of an Oak Barrel?

In France, there’s been as much barrel capacity as regions. From a valley to another, the standards could change. The measure could keep the same name but would change its size. Still today, a “feuillette de Chablis” will contain 132 litres, whereas in Mâcon, it will be 112 litres… These variations reflect a mosaic of French and European cultures, whose barrels come from. This standard has nevertheless become the “pièce” that corresponds to 228 litres in Burgundy and 225 litres in Bordeaux. This unit can be divided and give smaller barrels. In Burgundy we’ll then have: Ratio ¼ : Le quartaut, 57 L Ratio ½ : La feuillette, 114 ou 132 L Ratio 1 : La pièce, 228 L Ratio 2 : La queue, 456 L

+ What is the difference between “un tonneau”, “un fût” and “ une barrique”?

These three terms – tonneau, fût et barrique, can today be considered to be synonyms of each other. Historically each term had different meanings, regarding its region of origin . The eventual specificities of its contents became less clear as time wore on. The “fût” can have a more generic connotation and can depend on different chemicals or products held within but the terminology is nonetheless employed by professionals within the wine Industry. In Burgundy, we might use the term “pièce bourguignonne” describing the utensil used to grow our wine , however in places like Bordeaux, the term “barrique” would be more commonly used. Overall, the differences between tonneau, fût et barrique are all minor and can be considered cosmetic if anything.

+ Where Does the Oak Wood From Our Barrels Come From?

The wood that benefits our oak barrels come exclusively from French forests, in particular from the Châtillonnais Natural Park, located in Burgundy, major place of the cooperage.

The 2000 year old history of the barrel has shown that forests of our French regions were more capable of producing an excellent raw material. For centuries, our country has in fact managed its wood sector in the most serious of ways.

The forestry in the service of oak barrels. The French government has supervised forestry for almost 1000 years.

This long-term strategy is essential because, in order to produce good staves “merrains”, these oak trees must be between 180 and 250 years old. This explains the unique ranking of France in the area of cooperage. In the 17th century, the goal of the State was to respond to the needs of ship-building. From now on, the production of oak barrels represents a large part of the demand.

10% of the French harvest of oak logs in volume. In percentage/numbers, 30% of the timber sales benefit the oak barrels. A guarantee of quality for the oak barrels.100% of the French oak wood guarantees a consistent quality that often gets copied but never equaled: as attractive as the Eastern or American woods can be, they never meet the same needs.

When it is a question of aging wine, the French oak wood appears to be the supreme standard. That is the reason why our cooperage attracts winemakers from all around the world: 70% of our barrels are exported. Generally, France provides 75% of the global demand in oak barrels.

+ How to Choose the Aromatic Toasting of Your Barrel?

The choice of the second toasting of the barrels is a crucial point in the aging of wine. We call it “chauffe du tonneau aromatique” (aromatic toasting of the barrel) or “bousinage”. It counteracts the toasting of the barrel realized for the bending, during the “assemblage” of the barrel. Winemakers and oenologists make several adjustments, year after year, according to the millennials and their goals. Choosing the toasting of an oak barrel is a constantly-evolving art.

The toasting of the barrels depends on the wine and winemaker himself. The toasting depends on the taste and the structure wanted, but also on the grape varieties used and the general conditions of the vinification. A white wine will obviously not react like a red wine. More specifically, a Chardonnay will not have the same requirements depending on whether they come from South Africa or from Chablis.

As coopers, we work hand in hand with your estate in order to answer your specific need and share with you our expertise. Every case is specific: the creation of a great wine doesn’t follow a recipe that is as precise as the one for a soda.

The toasting of the barrels: a cooper’s secret. Beyond the wood and the know-how used for the making of the barrel, the toasting of it hits the “trade secret”. It is on this specific point that the cooper can help and bring a unique touch/approach.

Our craftsmen rely on their previous/past experience, but also on their feeling with touch, sight and smell. Just like for the wine he’s ready to receive, the barrel has an olfactory truth that awakens the senses.

Feel free to contact us to talk about it more precisely.

+ Why Age Your Wine in New Oak Barrels?

Every winemaker chooses whether or not to use new barrels, depending on the desired taste, and the quality of the wine to age. The price of a barrel being non-negligible, we can tend to save this type of investment for the “Grands Crus”. However, the essential quality of the oak barrel is to allow a slow high-quality oxidation. It is these exchanges with outside air that sublimates the aging of wine. Yet the more a barrel is used, the more the pores of its wood get clogged because of the tartaric acids, tannins and anthocyanins. A barrel that already received several wines slowly turns into a simple container, and doesn’t play its key role in aging.

A new barrel guarantees better hygiene A used/worn barrel must be subject to specific attention in terms of hygiene: the possible development of bacterium or leavens can alter the taste of wine to age.

The “new barrel” doesn’t correspond with the will to give the wine a wooded/woody taste. This choice results in a will to avoid the hazards of a barrel that wouldn’t let its content breathe, or that would bring an undesirable taste to the wine. As the adage says: “The goal of a good winemaker is to place as much new barrels as possible without anybody noticing it” And indeed, our advisors for coopers and our know-how in terms of toasting guarantee constant and delicate stability that benefits the subtlety of the greatest wines.

Flavors, precision, and micro-oxygenation : the assets of an aging in new barrels. In summary oxygenation and hygiene are essential criterias that encourage the use of new barrels, beside the perfect command of the flavors brought by the wood, thanks to the art of the coopers who can then produce an entirely custom-made product perfectly adjusted to the specific needs.

+ OWhere to Find a Small Oak Barrel or Keg?

Finding a small oak barrel or a keg of 5, 10 or even 30 litres has become pretty easy with the internet: several online stores sell them. We also find this type of small barrels in wood craftsmanship markets. Nevertheless, be careful.

The small oak barrel isn’t necessarily the right choice to make. Our cooperage doesn’t produce this type of small barrels because, generally speaking, they don’t allow the correct wine or liquor aging. The barrels must indeed have a critical size of around 55 litres. Below this capacity, the oak barrel offers a too large contact surface compared to the liquid. In terms of taste, it will be dominated by wood, and in terms of usage/practice, vaporization will cause significant losses.

Small oak barrels or kegs are interesting for decoration, but they can disappoint amateur users who wish to get a qualitative aging.

+ Where to Find Second-Hand Barrels in Burgundy?

The Tonnellerie Cavin can permit you to find second-hand barrels in Burgundy and elsewhere.

Second-hand barrels in your cooperage: a controlled quality. We often get our used barrels back, for example from customers who work with 100% new barrels.

These barrels of one or two wines are checked, cleaned, and then made available to people who wish to find and buy second-hand barrels. Our stock varies constantly, so feel free to contact our cooperage: by phone (+33 (0)3 80 96 56 82) or by email (contact@tonnellerie-cavin.com)

+ What Are the Different Recommended Sizes of Barrels?

We offer a large range of capacities for your barrels, from the “feuillette” to the “queue”, whether it’s Burgundian or Bordelais:

“Feuillette” of 114 litres Bordelais barrel of 225 litres (in 22 millimeters 27 millimeters) Burgundian part of 228 litres Barrel of 260 litres Barrel (or “muid”) of 300 litres Barrel of 320 litres Barrel (or “muid”) of 350 litres Barrel (or “douil”) of 400 litres Barrel (or “botta”) of 500 litres Barrel (or Fass) of 600 litres.

In case of a specific need, feel free to contact us.

+ What Is the Price of an Oak Barrel?

The price of an oak barrel can vary on a scale of 1 to 100: from less than 100 euros for an old barrel, it can go up to several thousands of euros for a new and specifically realized barrel (size,…) Beyond the aging and the wine already received, the subtlety of wood and the finitions of the barrel as well as the integration of some devices can affect the price of a barrel.

Please note that the value of a new barrel will always be higher for two main reasons: 1- The high cost of manpower and raw materials: felling, cutting and air drying of minimum two years; the oak tree used is part of the best woods available on the market, but it is always subject to 80% of loss! All along the process, highly-qualified craftsmen work with patience, to ensure the optimum quality of the barrel… This has a cost.

2- Thanks to a slow oxidation and a hygiene that guarantees to the winemaker and oenologist, the new barrel has always been in high-demand for its high-quality wine aging.

Feel free to contact us to know more about the price of the barrel that corresponds to your needs.

+ Why Make Wine Without “Sulfite” in Oak Barrels ?

The new oak barrel is the natural ally of the winemaker who wishes to make wine without “sulfites”. And we don’t say this as “barrels sellers” but as a Burgundian cooperage that regularly helps prestigious estates who wish to decrease or remove 100% of the “sulfites”, including in special Grands Crus that are aimed at a long haul and distant expeditions (in Asia or America).

3 reasons to age its wine without “sulfites” in a new oak barrel 1 - The new oak barrel is “Sulphur-free” by definition. Yes, we have already seen wine estates pretending they never used new barrels, nor “sulfites”. Strangely, the bottles of those estates almost always have the label “contains sulfites”.. The reason is obvious: it is really difficult to conciliate hygiene of a used barrel and the lack or the drastic reduction of SO2.

The burning of sulphur wicks doesn’t have any equivalent when it involves protecting and cleaning a barrel that has already received wine. When the winemaker masters himself his fleet of barrels, he can decrease at most the needs in drilling , but it means he has had new barrels before. A second-hand barrel must have been drilled, to make sure it doesn’t contaminate the future wine that is going to be stored in, because of the time interval during which it will be empty.

For a winemaker who wishes to make Sulphur-free wine, that means that the second-hand barrel is often contaminated with SO2, and if it’s not, the wine which will be stored in without previous drilling will get the consequences.
An extended rinse of the used barrel before the “barreling” will of course remove a large amount of SO2, but in case the winemaker wants to remain below 10mg, but that would be like playing Russian roulette.

2- To make wine without sulfites, the oak barrel is natural. Then, when we want to make wine without sulphur dioxide (SO2), the goal is often to produce the purest and most elegant expression of the terroir. To do this, the oak barrel is the ideal vessel because, unless we use wood that is too aromatic and contains too much whisky-lactones, the oak barrel respects the fruit.

Thereupon, we urge you to read our history of the barrels which explains how the oak barrels allowed the development of natural wine: before aging in barrels, there was only Roman wine full of spices, peas, and even pigeon droppings. This note is also linked to the principles of the creation of our barrels, for which we favour an approach that’s handmade and close to the forest.

3- The new oak barrel protects Sulphur-free aged wine. In the article Why aging a wine in an oak barrel, we mention the important role of the “ellagitannins” in the capacity of redox. Particularly with “sulfites-free” wines, these wood tannins allow a natural protection which supplements the “anti-oxydasique” role played by the sulphur dioxide.

The ellagitannins inhibit in fact the oxidases which are enzymes that cause the “casse brune” (or “casse oxydasique”) through the oxidation of some “polyphénois”. The wood tannins, when present, help to compensate the lack of SO2 on this important risk during winemaking.

+ How to Chant and Extract an Elaborate White Wine in Oak Barrels?

Contrarily to red wine, white wine in oak barrels has to make its alcohol fermentation inside the barrel. As soon as the grapes are pressed, which means as soon as the harvest is treated, the grape must be instantly chanted. So are the rules of art for the aging of white wine in barrels: without this, the wooded taste will dominate and the oak won’t be able to bring its potential of aromatic fineness and aging.

Why do we have to chant white wine as soon as possible? Contrarily to what we could think, the sooner wine is in contact with oak, the less it will be “wooded”. A white wine that’s being chanted after its alcohol fermentation, as could be seen in some regions, the wooden taste will overpower the original taste. (cf. Chatonnet P., Dubourdieu D., Boidron J.N., 1992, Sci. Aliments, 12, 4., p. 666)

The barrel’s tannins, particularly if they’re new, react with the lees on which the wine is aged in case of a direct “barreling” after pressing, as we recommend it. Those lees are partly composed of yeasts whose walls (mannoproteins,…) set the ellagitannins of the wood. Their reducing power also allows to protect the wine from its oxidation risks.

The late racking, another key to a good white wine aging in oak barrels. All of the complex mechanisms aforementioned explain the Burgundian tradition of the “bâtonnage”, or “stirring”, which is the regular operation during when we hang the lees so they bring their benefits to the wine.

If the “barreling” has to be made as soon as possible, you can guess that the racking will have to be prepared for the bottling. The ecosystem of the oak barrel protects the white wine that we elaborate and the clever winemaker benefits from these balances by keeping them alive as much as they can.

Do not hesitate to rack the white wine in case of an incident. This advice doesn’t take into account the potential incidents during the elaboration of a white wine in an oak barrel: for example, a lack of reduction at the end of the alcohol fermentation can force the winemaker to make an early racking. The then removed lees won’t be able to play their oenological part. If you have any doubt or question, feel free to contact us.

In practice, during the aging of your white wines in oak barrels: Make sure you leave an empty space of around 10% in the oak barrel, in order to avoid any overflow related to the fermentation boiling. After the alcohol fermentation, the malolactic fermentation will be made in the barrel itself too. A white wine that’s aged in an oak barrel has to spend a minimum of time in its vessel, as explained.

+ How and When to Proceed to the “Barreling”of a Wine in an Oak Barrel?

The ideal moment for barreling varies depending on whether it’s about the elaboration of a white wine or the aging of a red wine.

Nevertheless, here are some advices for a successful barreling in oak barrels:

• Proceed to the barreling as soon as possible: whether it’s a white or red wine, this principle of “Burgundian” vinification proved its worth everywhere in the world. For the red wines we can, at most, plan a brief uncurving, after fermentation, in order to keep only the fine lees. But for great white wines, the “barreling” must occur after pressing: the alcohol fermentation is made in the barrel and the lees then embedded play an important part in the quality of the vinification.

• Do not filter wine before barreling : once more, the fine lees will be instrumental in the elaboration of a wine in oak barrel (cf. intervention de Vivas, L’élevage des vins rouges sur lies influence surtout la structure des tanins)

• Limit the “sulfitage” of wines in oak barrels because above 25mg of SO2 per litre, the micro oxygenation will not be able to deliver all of its beneficial effects.

• Avoid the temperature variations and maintain them below 17°C (62,60 degrees Fahrenheit): Without this, the volatile acidity will increase.

• Regulate the micro oxygenation and the decarbonization by playing on the filling of the barrel’s bung: wooden bung on the top at the beginning. With time, and to end the aging, we adjust it, by closing the barrel to make sure it’s airtight: a hammered silicone bung or a wooden bung pressed on the side.

• Don’t panic concerning the wooden taste during the first months, during the wine aging in new barrels: this is due to ellagitannins that then disappear.

+ Micro-Oxygenation of a Wine Aged in an Oak Barrel: What Role Does the Barrel Play?

One of the reasons why the wine is aged in oak barrels is the micro-oxygenation that this wood permits. It allows to initiate redox phenomenons that make the wine age and enrich for a long term. The micro-oxygenation allows for example for the tannins to melt and for the anthocyanins to combine in order to stabilize and improve the color, especially when it includes the aging of a red wine.

Wine aging: the different sources of oxygen. The sources of oxygen related to the terms and elaboration of wine are multiple, whether there are willful racking or simple oenological handling: filtration, centrifugation, transferrings,… Those contributions can represent up to 50% of total supply in oxygen.

Nevertheless, most of those operations roughly bring oxygen to wine. Lots of tools aspire, consequently, to decrease as much as possible, these non-selected supplies in oxygen: the inerting of tanks and containers with nitrogen and/or CO2 represent a real issue: the winemaker wants to hedge against the rough and early oxidations that can destroy the fruity bouquet of a wine forever.

The barrel, a tool for an unbeatable micro-oxygenation. In line with this logic of risk control, lots of winemakers resort to systems dedicated to micro-oxygenation, with a controlled diffusion of oxygen placed in the wine cellars. Because, as we have all seen, even though oxygen can be an enemy, it remains a vital input in wine aging.

In front of this modern micro-oxygenation, the barrel appears to be a tool that’s simultaneously traditional and unbeatable on the technology plan: the way that wine exchanges oxygen with its environment through wood is inimitable.

How oxygen penetrates in the oak barrel. From where exactly does the air flow to enter in the barrel? During the last decades, extensive researches in cooperages have endeavored to answer this crucial and complex question. The oak barrel still keeps its mysteries.

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Indeed, the numbers related to the penetration of oxygen vary depending on the grain of the wood (big grains of oak trees barely let the oxygen flow), the hygrometry of the wineries where the barrel is, and on the production of the barrel (clamping of the staves “douelles”,…). Moreover, the steps of those researches in cooperage are pretty inaccurate because the process by which oxygen penetrates wine are pretty complex: several reactions are to take into account. For example, the ellagitannins that are released by wood, consume a large part of oxygen which we seem to struggle to estimate precisely. For your information, and to give you an idea of the proportions, we can nevertheless consider that the supplies in oxygen can split (source: Thèse de Nicolas Vivas): 16% through wood - 63% between the staves “douelles” - 21% through the hole of the bung From there, two important conclusions impose on the winemaker

Advices on how to manage the oxygenation of your wine aged in oak barrel

1- The micro-oxygenation changes a lot depending on the number of wines the barrel has received: that explains a large part of the advantages of an aging in new barrels. For your information, we consider that after five wines, the supply in oxygen through the barrel is almost divided by five (cf. Ribéreau-Gayon, Traité d’oenologie Tome 2, 7ème édition chez Dunod, p. 568)

2- Clogging the bung so it is airtight doesn’t prevent the oxygen to penetrate; or contrarily: a depressurization is created and increases the exchanges between “douelles” et through wood. Thereupon, see: “Ouillage”, or “Ulling” of wine aged in oak barrels: how can you proceed?

+ Consume of the Barrel: How Many Litres of Wine Evaporate?

Also called “la part des anges” (“the angels’ share”), the barrel’s consume designates the part of wine or liquor that is going to evaporate through wood. This loss depends on the hygrometry that ideally has to be maintained between 80% and 90%. In these normal conditions, we estimate that the evaporation rate oscillates between 4% and 5% per year. This represents 10 to 12 litres for a Burgundian (228L) or Bordeaux (225L) barrel. Despite wines, high in oxidatives, that are aged in oak barrels under flor, as yellow wines from Jura for example, it is well recommended to proceed to a regular “ouillage”, or “ullage”, of the barrel.

+ “Ouillage”, or “Ullage”, of a wine aged in oak barrel: how to proceed?

During an aging in oak barrel, a small part of wine evaporates from the barrel, benefitting from the pores of the wood: it is the consume of the barrel. The gap then created in the oak barrel can encourage an oxidation and the development of acetic acid bacteria which risk to make the volatile acidity raise. To protect your wine, you have to proceed to an “ullage” or maintain the bung closed by making sure it is airtight.

Frequency of the “ullage” of your wine aged in oak barrels. The “ullage” should consist in replacing the wine that is evaporating by filling the barrels one to twice a week, as soon as a gap appears. Some agings, depending on the oxidative effects researched, can consider an “Ullage” that’s more spaced in time: once every two weeks for example.

Keeping wine aside, kept for an “Ullage” of the barrels. In general, the “Ullage” of a barrel necessitates to have kept a reserve wine that you store apart, in a tank with floating lid or protected with inert gas (N2+ CO2)

A Silicon Bung for not proceeding to an “Ullage” of the barrels? As evoked, serval studies ( cf. Vivas N. et Glories Y., 1993, Revue française d'oenologie, 142, p.33 ) have nevertheless declared that the “Ullage” could not be done if the barrel was tightly closed and was turned on the side with a wooden bung, or well sealed with a silicon bung well pressed (our cooperage can provide you some)

Nevertheless be careful: when the barrel is tightly sealed, a depressurization is created inside the barrel (cf. thèse de Vivas). It brings a sharp increase of the oxygenation through wood and the staves “douelles”. The decision has to be made according to the age of the barrel and the desired oxygenation. Feel free to contact us if you have questions about “Ullage” or your wine aged in oak barrels.

+ Can We Make Sulfite-free wine with a drilled barrel ?

The label “sulfite-free” defines a wine that contains less than 10 mg of S02 per litre. This threshold is not set to zero because during fermentation, the yeasts naturally produce some sulfites. A “100% sulphur-free” is an impossible task: “no added sulphur” would be more appropriate. However, drilling a barrel, can make it cross a fateful threshold. To avoid this, the winemaker who makes sulphur-free wine has to relieve as much as possible the burnt dose, and consider to increase at most the use of new barrels.

What is the ideal size of barrel to age a wine?

The Burgundian piece of 228L and the Bordeaux barrel of 225L appears as a reference figure when it’s about aging a great wine. As evoked, there is nevertheless a large variety of barrels’ capacities. In Chablis, white wines are often aged in a “feuillette” of 132L, whereas other winemakers will prefer capacities over 500L to facilitate the handling and maintenance (less units to clean, etc). The type of wine, grape variety, type of winemaking, and the traditions are several causes which have an influence of the ideal size of a barrel. The Tonnellerie Cavin has decided to focus of a large optimal range, with capacities of barrels from 114 litres to 600 litres. The “quartaut” (small barrel) of 57 litres can be used in complement, but the too-small capacity of a barrel does not always ensure the conditions of an optimal winemaking. The ratio of the surface of the oak wood and the wine can be too high, and lead woody agings. the contrary will happen with too big barrels, where the contribution of the oak wood will dissipate in the large quantity of wine.

The Tonnellerie Cavin has a lot of experience in the different terroirs, so feel free to contact us so we can advise you on your specific case.