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46 WINES&VINES February 2016 BARRELS PRACTICAL WINERY & VINEYARD the location of the wood within the tree). This variation was not related to practices that cooper- ages have traditionally utilized for stave segregation. Esprit de Dryades identified three classes of tannin potential (TP) corresponding to distinct ellagitannin content in untoasted wood: low TP (LTP) containing less than 4,000 ellagic acid equiv- alent (µg ellagitannin per gram of dry wood), medium TP (MTP) containing 4,000 to 6,000 and high TP (HTP) containing more than 6,000. Because oak wood undergoes significant compositional change during toasting (e.g., formation of volatile compounds and partial degradation of ellagitannins), tra- ditional methods of toasting and the associated variations in human management of the toast- ing process would negate the up- stream wood classification by NIRS. Therefore, it was essential to incorporate automated toasting to achieve consistent and repro- ducible results. With the NIRS classification and automated toasting systems i n p l a c e , E s p r i t d e D r y a d e s launched the new Vicard Genera- tion 7 cooperage in 2011 to offer clients increased precision. Win- ery trials began in Italy and France, and the results indicated that predictable and consistent flavor profiles were achievable. With positive response from many winery clients, the cooper- age expanded production in 2013 to make several thousand barrels to sell each year in Bordeaux, Bur- gundy, the United States and the southern hemisphere. Esprit de Dryades is continuing research to learn the potential im- pact of tannin on wine style. For the 2015 vintage, Marie-Laure Badet conducted full-scale scien- <4,000 4,000-6,000 >6,000 Ellagic Acid Equivalent (µg ellagitannin/gram of dry wood) Number of Stave Pieces 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 n 1.5-2 mm growth ring n >3 mm growth ring DISTRIBUTION OF ELLAGITANNIN ACCORDING TO GRAIN WIDTH VARIABILITY OF ELLAGITANNIN CONTENT IN OAK STAVES 0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 Number of Staves µg EGT/g of dry wood 10,000 9,000 8,000 7,000 6,000 5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 0