Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/59998
WINEMAKING fat. The Burgundy barrel is shorter and fatter. I think because Burgundian wines are usually left on the solids (lees), that deeper bow holds the lees and can be decanted cleanly more easily. I have always used Bordeaux barrels. They were the ones I used most often, and the racks that I have bought fit that type of barrel. That is a practical reason, but that is why I use Bordeaux-style bar- rels. For my whites, I use Bordeaux-style barrels coopered in Burgundy. Barrels coopered in Burgundy are made by people that usually drink Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and I think they have a better feel for the taste of the wine. What toast level do you prefer? Sbragia: I use medium-plus toast in whites and medium in reds. Toasting is done, like the bending of the staves to form the barrel, over a little brazier with chips of oak. The toast can be controlled by using a wet cloth, and also the heat can be controlled by placing a lid on the open top of the barrel. That controls the heat, but my personal preference is to not use the lid so much. I don't like the smoky character that the wood gets when it is trapped in the barrel. I ask them to toast at a lower temperature for a longer time. "The Dry Creek red wines spend about 18 months in barrel. The bigger wines ...are two years." —Winemaker Ed Sbragia What about heat-bent vs. water- bent staves? Sbragia: Staves can be bent with heat as I described above. Staves can also be bent with water. Immersion in hot water heats the wood, and the stave can be formed to make the barrel. This process is said to make a barrel with less harsh oak tannin. Lots of winemakers are fans of water-bent staves to make barrels. I've never really used water- bent, so I wouldn't know how to comment. How about forests of origin for the oak? Or is the grain more important than the forest? Sbragia: I like Nevers oak, since it usually delivers a stronger flavor and, at the same time, has a fairly tight grain. It is a matter of taste; Nevers barrels from the coopers I use suit my taste Experiments led to Nevers from that. But he has experimented with other barrels in the past. "I have in the past taken the same wine, A both red and white, and looked at different coopers, different forests, different grain density, different toast levels but not sizes to see what I liked," Sbragia says. "That is how I have made my decisions." While he was at Beringer, he adds, "I looked at as many forests as I could get my hands on.…I bought some American barrels. I used some Yugoslavian and Hungarian oak. As a young winemaker, you experiment with everything. Then you settle in.…I loved the flavor of Nevers oak. I liked it 20 years ago, and I still do." These days, when Sbragia tastes with other winemakers and finds something interesting, he occasionally experiments. "When I can afford them, I try some other barrels," he says. L.D. profile: good, rich cedar spice and not a resinous, woody taste. I use it for pretty much everything. How do you decide how much new oak to use and how long to leave a given wine in oak? Sbragia: It depends on the character of the wine that is being aged in barrels. The bigger wines, like Cabernet Sauvignon from mountain vineyards, have strong flavors and tannins and can accommodate the flavors of new oak barrels. As you get to softer, more elegant wines, I use less new oak and more once- or twice-used barrels. These add a little oak, but it is less intense and does not mask the flavor of the wine. It is a spice: The flavor of the wine and the wood need to be balanced. For example, for my Cimarossa Cab- ernet Sauvignon from Howell Mountain, I use new oak. It is a big, rich, extractive wine with a lot of spice and fruit. New fter 35 years as a winemaker, Ed Sbragia knows what he likes in a barrel and doesn't deviate much Oak from the Nevers forest occupies much of Sbragia Family Vineyards' barrel room. French Nevers adds to the flavor but doesn't dominate. My Gino's Vineyard Zinfandel comes from southern Dry Creek by the Russian River, where it's cooler. I use only about 30% new oak for that wine, which is an elegant, full-fla- vored Zinfandel. It would be dominated by 100% new oak. At a certain point, the wine will start to lose fruit. You get a feeling for cycles in certain wines. Over the years, you get a little intuition, but it's a matter of tasting. The Dry Creek red wines spend about 18 months in barrel. The bigger wines, like Monte Rosso Vineyard and Howell Mountain, are two years. A resident of the Santa Cruz Mountains, Laurie Daniel has been a journalist for more than 25 years. She has been writing about wine for publications for nearly 15 years and has been a Wines & Vines contributor since 2006. Wines & Vines MARCH 2012 49 W &V : W &V : W &V : W &V :