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COVER STORY Nathan Pettett, cellar master at Long Shadows Vintners, empties fermented must into a basket press from 400-liter barrels used for Philippe Melka's wine, Pirouette. 300-gallon barrels to limit the new oak character. He believes the larger vessels better integrate the wood and wine, while they don't bring as much fatness or creaminess as small barrels. He also likes the lower level of oxidation through the wood in the larger tanks and finds that roasted hazelnut aromas develop. Hoefliger finds the biggest problem with the larger barrels is logistics. "Stacking and storage are a huge issue," he says. They're hard to handle and expensive. He uses them for three years for Alpha Omega Chardonnay, filling them with press wine during the third year. Dearden, who at one time sold imported Gamba barrels, agrees that large barrels are unwieldy. "They're too heavy for the normal person to deal with," he says. Gaffner of Ram's Gate uses large-format barrels as well as wood fermentation tanks. "I love Syrah aged in puncheons and hogsheads," he says. "It integrates the wood more slowly." He adds that he never uses the larger barrels for Napa Valley Cabernet. Gaffner says he first used the large barrels for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir at Saxon Brown, then aged Syrah in them. Winemaker Ashley Hepworth at Joseph Phelps Vineyards in St. Helena, Calif., has some 500-liter barrels she uses to age Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier. "The oak is a little more elegant and less pronounced," she says. "I really like their impact." She buys them from Tonnellerie Ermitage, Tonnellerie Francois Freres, Dargaud Jaegle, Damy Cooperage and Billon. She cleans the barrels with ozone and uses them for six to eight months for white wines and 18 months for reds. When the barrels are empty, Hepworth washes them at least every two months with ozone and water, and she steams them once a year. Winemakers are once again turning to old techniques for inspiration, and many find that large barrels and oak fermentation tanks provide the textural benefits of smaller oak barrels— but without the oakiness that some consumers reject. They are expensive and difficult to maintain, but many winemakers find their benefits are worth the trouble and expense. beauty and WESTERN SQUARE I N D U S T R I E S 1621 North Broadway • Stockton, CA 95205 Toll-Free: 800.367.8383 WesternSquare.com You can find Western Square on and Lean, Green and Made in America 36 W in e s & V i ne s F E B R UARY 20 13 brawn