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CO VER S T OR Y Cellar workers at Caldwell Winery rack barrel fermented wine out of a puncheon. One of the biggest "costs" with barrel fermentation is the drain on time as well as labor, because working with barrel-fermented wines requires more workers for each stage of the winemaking process. What exactly is happening to the wine as it ferments in barrel is not clear. Dr. Anita Oberholster of the University of California Cooperative Extension has studied mouthfeel and wine aging. She said that while most research has gone into barrel maturation, not fermentation, a sensory study of the ellagitannins that could be extracted from new barrels found them to be described as "mouth-coating and astringent." And while the oxygen moving through the barrel would be utilized by the yeast and not be available for polymerization, there could still be an effect. Wood tannins could induce polymerization on monomeric pigments such as anthocyanins, and the products of this can confer a finer astringency with an increase in the perception of viscosity. "The combination of these could be described by some as softer tannins and mouth- coating tannins," she said. Riding a roller coaster Caldwell Winery in Napa's new Coombsville AVA has made a significant commitment to barrel fermentation for several years. The winery produces 4,500 cases that include a limited amount of premium wines under the Caldwell Platinum, Gold and Silver labels that range in price from $120 to $225 per bottle as well as 1,500 cases of its red blend Rocket Science, which sells for $48, and several other single-varietal wines. Director of winemaking Marbue Marke said that in order to make barrel fermentation a success, one has to have the ability The tradition of great French cooperage since 1735 Contact USA : Michael Mercer Email: Michael@leroibarrels.com Cell: 707-508-5006 - Office: 707-944-1330 Tonnellerie Leroi - 36 - 46, rue de Dizédon- 16100 COGNAC - FRANCE Tél. +33 5 45 82 79 42- Fax +33 5 45 82 71 58 - www.tonnellerie-leroi.com 28 Wines & Vines FeBRUARY 2012