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CO VER S T OR Y to relinquish some control once the must starts to ferment in the barrel. "If you're not used to natural fermentation, barrels won't work for you," he said. "As long as you're comfortable with riding that roller coaster, you'll be fine." Caldwell barrel ferments about 60% to 80% of its production each year. Marke said he hires a cooper to remove barrel heads for filling. Standing in front of a barrel outfitted with a Plexigas head, Marbue pointed out the whole berries and small cap to illustrate the benefits of barrel fermentation. "The free run doesn't get affected by breaking seeds at all," he said, adding that the percentage of cap not submerged is just a fraction of that in a tank. Marke said he "lets the grapes tell" how much to barrel ferment each harvest. For the 2011 harvest, Marke said he did less fermentation in barrel because of the difficult vintage. He added that if a lot is spread out over 20 barrels, it could be a challenge to adjust additions for the volume and dynamics of each barrel. It's also much easier to manage the fermentation temperature in a tank than a barrel. The barrels at Caldwell are stacked on an OxOLine rack system. These racks, developed in partnership with Baron's barrel- fermentation system, facilitate easy spinning but can't be moved. Marke said his staff members use a pneumatic lift system that can pull the barrels out of the racks. OxO also makes a single- barrel modular system that allows for easier moving, and Marke said he's found that these are far easier than employing barrel fermentation on chocks. This custom-designed forklift attachment enables workers to dump out barrel-fermented fruit for pressing at Caldwell Winery in Napa, Calif. Marke declined to name the cooperages he uses for barrel fermentation, adding that barrel fermentation is not the sole factor in choosing oak. One day late in the 2011 crush, Marke had cellar workers racking out of a puncheon that had been used for barrel fermentation. The workers used a pump to rack the free run through a tube screen and into a small stainless tank. Once the free run had been pumped out, Marke said the workers would use a customized forklift attachment to tip the rest of the fruit out of the puncheon into the basket press. The job entailed as many as four workers and illustrated Marke's point that every step of the winemaking process requires extra work with barrels as opposed to tanks. For a winery like Caldwell, though, Marke said the method makes sense considering the winery's 67-acre estate vineyard is home to nine varieties and several different clones. The winery has eight clones of Cabernet Sauvignon alone. Using barrels enables Marke to pick what he wants, and the small fermentations give him a full palette when it's time to create For more information, please contact your sales representative or email us at info@seguinmoreau.com. Wines & Vines FeBRUARY 2012 29