Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/246577
BARRELS us, what is important is to be on the same soil. And it's next to the river—the Garonne and the ocean—so you have the wind, you have the rain, you have cold in the winter," he said. "For us it has always worked." Origin of forests and seasoning yards moreau 42 W in es & V i ne s F E B R UARY 20 14 age, it's because the quality and sensory profile has not been the same as previous years. When Allwine finds a barrel that fits his program, he wants to be able to trust that barrel from vintage to vintage. "Consistency in sourcing of wood year to year, consistent aging process and then the consistency between aging when they toast and construct the barrel" are top priorities, he said. seguin Winemakers also noted the variation in oak. Cohn mentioned the differences between American oak that has been shipped around the world and air-dried in different places such as Australia or Italy. He said he's fond of a small Rhone Valley cooperage that had been known as Desrieux until it was acquired by the Jaeglé family, which changed the name to Vallaurine. He said he's always enjoyed the barrel's unique profile and attributes that to its composition of wood seasoned in the Rhone Valley. "I think that's what makes that barrel," he said. "I think it's the microbes, and I think it's a mixture of everything." Allwine joined Col Solare in 2003, but before that he managed the production of Columbia Crest's reserve program. He said at Col Solare he's working with Cabernet Sauvignon from the Red Mountain AVA that features a high level of intense tannins. His chief concern is finding barrels that can integrate well with those tannins and add "silkiness in the finish." Allwine said he's found success with Tonnellerie Taransaud, Marcel Cadet and Tonnellerie Boutes. He is experimenting with a few other coopers, but all of Col Solare's barrels are new, French oak. He said the winery went to 100% French oak in 2010 because the tightgrain oak just performed the best. Allwine said the most important quality of a cooperage is consistency. When he drops a cooper- Winemakers say that consistency can often be more important to barrel quality than toast or wood origin.