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CO VER S T OR Y RED BARREL FERMENTATION Proponents claim it's worth the effort By Andrew Adams Tonnellerie Baron makes barrels custom fitted with clear heads and small hatches that help winemakers ferment red wine in the barrel. The process of spinning barrels on specialized racks is key to the method, as it breaks up and wets the cap. F or the sake of a certain style, more and more winemakers are taking two of the most labori- ous parts of cellar op- erations— managing red fermentations and barrel work—and combining them. Barrel fermentation is a winemaking method that's growing in popularity for imparting silky tannins and a lush roundness to red wines, especially Bordeaux varieties. However, those who have made a commitment to the method say the added labor and lack of fermentation controls make it a process not suited for everyone. There are essentially two ways to barrel ferment. One is to pop the head off a barrel, fill it with must and leave it in a vertical position. In this fashion, the barrel serves as a small open-top tank, and cap management is achieved with punch downs. The other method is to fill the barrel the same way, replace the head and seal in the must. The barrel then can be laid on a rack, but it needs to be spun to wet the cap and achieve extraction. It's through this more complicated and labor-intensive method of replacing the barrel heads and spinning—at least twice a day—that winemakers say they achieve the full benefits of introducing oak to fermenting must. Specialized process for small lots The laborious process of barrel fermen- tation often means that winemakers at 24 Wines & Vines FeBRUARY 2012 smaller wineries use the method sparingly and only for certain lots. One such winemaker is David A. Jeffrey, owner of 1,500-case Calluna Vineyards in Windsor, Calif. He said he uses a small amount of barrel fermentation after learning the method while working at Chateaux Quinault in St. Emilion, France. "With this process you're obviously exposing the must and the wine earlier in the process....It also is the new oak being exposed to the heat of fermentation." —David A. Jeffrey, winemaker and owner, Calluna Vineyards Jeffrey said that for barrel fermentation he only uses fruit from the 1.25-acre "Colonel's Vineyard" portion of his 12- acre estate. "At this point I don't think I'd do 100% of my wine that way," he said. "I want to highlight and do something different with that vineyard." Jeffrey makes two Bordeaux blends as well as a single-vineyard Merlot in addition to the Colonel's Vineyard Cabernet, which sells for $60 on the winery's website. Cabernet is often cited as the red varietal that most benefits from barrel fermentation because it has the flavors and structure to coalesce with new oak. Varietals with less tannin structure could be overwhelmed by oak during barrel fermentation. New oak is also vital. Several winemakers said barrel fermentation just isn't worth the effort unless you're using new oak. Because the method is best used with robust Cabernet and new oak barrels, it's not surprising that red barrel fermentation has found many proponents in Napa Valley and Sonoma County, where Jeffrey lives. Highlights • Barrel fermentation of red wines is a labor- intensive procedure that winemakers say adds softness and roundness to wines. • Two barrels of fermenting must yield about one barrel of aging wine. • Extended maceration can be much easier when fermenting in a barrel. • The method often is best used as an element of a wine's overall profile.