Barrels

[REDRUM]

Next vintage I am looking to mature a batch of wine in a proper oak barrel. I have been thinking about trying to locate a barrique (225 L / 60 gal) but I may not actually have the capacity of grapes to do this size. My question is this: if I found a new or relatively new smaller barrel (say 30 gal), is this likely to impart too much oak flavour on the wine due to greater wood surface area per volume? What would people recommend for someone who wants to try maturing in oak for the first time?

 

[MrKevin]

Redrum
Using a 30gal barrel may mean you will have to only age it for a 9months to a year (you control, based on your taste). I know some of the known quality wine makers barrel age for 18months in new barrels based on 60gal barrels. Using a 30gal you would get a little more oak to wine ratio, my guess would be you would need to cut time down by about 40%

 

[ibglowin]

Be careful buying used unless you know it has been well cared for. 30G is still a lot of wine. If it is a used barrel I see no reason that you could not allow it to stay in the barrel for 12 months depending on varietal. Look around to see if anyone is importing the smaller Hungarian Oak barrels to AU such as we have access to here in the States from Vadai.

 

[JohnT]

A good rule of thumb is 1 week of barrel again per gallon capacity of the barrel. So, if you have a 60 gallon barrel, you should plan to age for 60 weeks. If you have a 30 gallon barrel, you should plan to age 30 weeks.

Of course you specific tastes will vary. This is only a rule of thumb that I use.

This is due to the fact that the amount of surface area with respect to the total value of wine increases as the barrel get smaller.

 

[whackfol]

You're on the right track. I started with 114L barrels and now am down to 55L due to convenience and because I age for about 18 months. This allows me to introduce one or two new barrels each year and age part in new, part in 18 mos old and part in 3+ year old barrels. My concern (and yours based on your question) was over oaking. This has never happened - even in the new barrels with wine held for 18 mos. I do have the ability to blend were it to be so. I have actually added spirals to my 3+ year old barrels when I felt it needed more. Interestingly, I do not characterize myself as a heavy oak person. Most of my wines are heavier reds that can accept the oak. I have used only French oak from: St Martin, Allary , Seguin Moreau and now Radoux. I have followed this regimen for about 8 years.

I can only speak from my experience. Were I you, I would pick a barrel that I could work with and reserve a portion of wine that I could use to blend back if needed. You are talking about a quantity near 225L which gives you plenty of wine to work with. I like the 55L barrels over the 110's for ease and flexibility and would buy two of the 55's before one of the 110's. Going forward it gives you flexibility.

 

[REDRUM]

Thanks all, I think I will try to seek out a new, smaller barrel then, so long as cost isn't prohibitive.

 

[JohnT]

Not sure if you know this, and just as a side note....

You can lose quite a bit of wine while barrel aging (sometimes referred to as "the angel's share"). I can expect to lose between 2 and 2.5 gallons of wine over the course of a year of barrel aging. I keep this "top off" wine in 1/2 gallon jugs. I top off when the barrel will take a whole half gallon.

 

[REDRUM]

Daft question, but do you use the previous years' wine to top off, or do you put some current wine aside after primary fermentation?

 

[4score]

Be careful with your topping wine because it needs as much care as the barrel wine. One of my 2 g jugs went to vinegar! I now keep 1.5 liter bottles of a good store wine on-hand for the angels.

 

[REDRUM]

That's a good idea ... so get a cheapy commercial wine that is a similar variety / style to the wine you want to make for topping up...

 

[ibglowin]

They sell grapes for the most part to us "amateurs" in 36lb Lugs. I find that 3 lugs gets me about 7 gallons of finished wine. I have 6 gallon barrels so that extra gallon becomes my top off wine for that year.

 

[sdelli]

A good rule of thumb is 1 week of barrel again per gallon capacity of the barrel. So, if you have a 60 gallon barrel, you should plan to age for 60 weeks. If you have a 30 gallon barrel, you should plan to age 30 weeks.

Of course you specific tastes will vary. This is only a rule of thumb that I use.

This is due to the fact that the amount of surface area with respect to the total value of wine increases as the barrel get smaller.

I like this..... But it will only hold true for the first run correct?


Sam

 

[JohnT]

Yes, I am talking about the use of new barrels.

For second time usage, I usually begin with the 60 month aging, then make the call on continuing to barrel age, de-barrel the wine, and/or add alternate oak.

 

[REDRUM]

I guess after a few months in barrel you'd get a pretty good idea of how heavy the oaking is and how to proceed from there.
Also got to make the choice as to French v American oak ... I don't think Hungarian is common here.

 

[4score]

Just confirmed a couple of these from Nadalie, a brand many commercial winemakers are using here. Very excited to get put juice in it!

110L VA oak, aged 36 months, Medium+ toasting

http://www.nadalie.com/oak-wine-barrels.php