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WINEMAKING goal was to incorporate acacia while keeping the wines fresh and crisp with subtle oak impact. The water-bending process brings freshness, and the acacia brings floral aromas." Hansen added that untoasted acacia heads, which represent roughly 30% of the interior surface area of the barrel, have less of a tannin concen- tration than their French oak counterparts. "Full acacia has a nuttiness to it," Hansen added. Fraîcheur was designed with Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne in mind. Seguin Moreau suggested aging on lees for five to eight months after fermentation. Limited racking toward the end was recommended to prevent premature oxidation. For those looking to go black locust all the way, Tonnellerie Billon, represented by Bouchard Cooperages, now offers barrels fabricated with 100% seasoned French acacia wood from the Burgundy region. According to Gary Chappell from Bouchard Cooperages, "Acacia doesn't mask fruity characteristics. It brings fresh fruit flavors more forward." Depending on the wine base, melon, peach or mango notes can be heightened. Chappell added, "It's about 46 euros cheaper than a Billon French oak barrel but a little more expensive than an Eastern European barrel." Acacia doesn't have to be seasoned quite as long—depending on the weather it can take about 24 months. The idea behind seasoning is for the wood to repeatedly get rained on then dry out, thus reducing reduce harsh lactones. "It's like putting a sponge under a faucet and squeezing it, rinsing it out and repeat- ing numerous times," Chappell explained. Chappell recommended the 100% acacia barrel for Pinot Grigio, Viognier, Semillon, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Acacia is seasoned in the Tonnellerie Billon stave yard in Beaune, France. Priced 46 euros less per barrel than French oak, acacia is well positioned to be an exciting alternative. Boasting the toasting Developed by Jérôme Damy over three vintages, the new Damy Rouge barrel from Tonnellerie Damy uses a hand-selected house blend of extra tight grain French oak—all sourced from one long- term supplier and seasoned for a minimum of 36 months. Roses undergo a slow bousinage (toasting) at Tonnellerie Damy in Meursault, France. During the Damy Rouge toasting process, a stronger and hot- ter fire is used to help develop structure in red wines. Chappell explained, "Longer time on the fire, a slow toast, gives less intense heat so the wood has less char than medium plus." Intense heat is the applied at the end of the toast. "Damy is traditionally known for its Chardonnay barrels— Jérôme looked for something that would marry well with heavier, bolder reds such as Syrah from Washington and Central Coast, bigger Pinots from Willamette Valley and Santa Barbra Highlands as well as Russian River Pinots that are longer on the vine," Chappell said. 40 Wines & Vines OCTOBeR 2011