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BARRELS with about five dozen Bordeaux wineries for trials in 2012 and reported that wines aged in Éclat barrels exhibited excellent oak integration and a quality he described as "sucrosity." Boswell said the quality refers to the sweetness and roundness of the oak. About 130 of the barrels have been placed in about 20 U.S. wineries including both Cabernet and Pinot producers. In France, Boswell said several of the wineries used samples of wines aged in Éclat barrels for en primeur because the wines were so well integrated and tasted as if they'd spent far more time in a barrel. Boswell said the barrels could offer short-term aging, but that's still unclear. "That's a concept; it might actually be true, but we don't know." Tight grain for better integration When a wine needs more time in the barrel, the best option is usually to use barrels made with tight grain for a longer, balanced extraction of oak tannin and flavors. Coopers have long offered premium barrels featuring tight-grain wood that has been seasoned for at least two years. Better quality oak alternatives have allowed winemakers to stretch their oak budgets and ensure their best wines age in the best possible barrels. "I find they are aging more and longer compared to France, which was very long before and now is less," Vincent Nadalie said of recent trends he's noticed among American winemakers. Nadalie runs Nadalie USA in Calistoga, Calif., which is the American branch of his family's French cooperage. Tonnellerie Nadalie in Bordeaux just released its new "Elite" barrel featuring "fine tight-grain" French oak, which is slightly larger than the "extra tight grain" oak used in its Colbert barrel. Nadalie said the wood for the Elite barrel is sourced from a blend of French oak forests—mainly Tronçais, Allier, Center of France and Nevers. The barrel has been in trials at wineries in France for three years, Nadalie said, so that the cooperage could fully understand all of its sensory characteristics. He said the Elite barrel is ideal for aging Bordeaux varieties for 20 to 28 months, and that "it brings softness to the tannins and a nice integration." Tonnellerie Nadalie places a strong emphasis on the wood's forest of origin. Vincent Nadalie said the company undergoes rigorous (Continued on page 50.) The new Éclat barrel is toasted with a unique ceramic heating element that its manufacturer claims provides a deep and consistent toast. Win es & Vin es D EC EM b er 20 13 47