Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/70673
TonnellerieRemond_Dir09 9/26/08 4:47 PM Page 1 CO VER S T OR Y mately 30% slower than in France," he said. "Therefore, the bar- rels will be a tighter grain slower in oxygenation, which releases oak flavor to the wine more slowly." Vadai cautions that because of grain tightness, winemakers should leave red wine in the bar- rel for 14-24 months, and white wine for eight-14 months. James Hendon, winemaker at the 20,000-case Pear Valley Vineyard in Paso Robles, Calif., said his 11-year use of Hungar- ian oak is strictly for style. He remarked that though the cost savings are nice, "It's hard to quantify how much it's worth. It provides me with something I can't get anywhere else." At Hendon's winery, almost every variety gets at least a small percentage of Hungarian oak. The inspiration he described is a unique Hungarian oak flavor profile, particularly a mild and pleasant nutmeg spiciness. Pear Valley Vineyard Chardonnay is aged in 100% Hungarian oak for eight months, and Zinfandel is aged in 70% Hungarian and 30% French oak. Hungarian oak really excels on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, according to Frommelt of Trust International. A synergistic flavor between Hungarian oak and Pinot Noir was mentioned by Kent Rasmussen, who sources his Hungarian oak barrels from Kádár Hungary. Rasmussen described himself as a winemaker who enjoys buying two of anything new and interesting. Eight or nine years ago, when a barrel salesperson brought him samples of Pinot Noir aged in Hungarian oak, he gave it a try. "The wine was a stunner of the year," he said. Today Hungar- ian oak makes up 50% of Rasmussen's Pinot program; the other 50% is French oak. Some barrel suppliers said that Hungarian oak is catching on slowly, and others reported that sales are totally stagnant. Aubin of Artisan Barrels said, "The overall stigma for Europe- an oak is unfortunately not going anywhere soon. They work for different markets, but French oak still has the premium appeal that Hungarian oak doesn't have. I think once more winemakers try it, they can find a niche in their winemaking programs along- side French oak-aged wines. Hungarian oak is not a mainstream niche right now, but it is a growing market. I wish it would be different because the quality of Hungarian oak is there." Jim Boswell of the Boswell Co. amusingly sums up the resis- tance to Hungarian oak: "Winemakers have a very strong allegiance to French oak barrels. They cling to French oak like teddy bears." COMPANY Barrel Suppliers (continued) PHONE Tonnellerie Garonnaise Tonnellerie Mercier Tonnellerie Quintessence Tonnellerie Radoux USA Tonnellerie Remond Tonnellerie Sirugue Tonnellerie Sylvain Trust International Corp. VinOak USA World Cooperage Rich Xiberta USA Inc. WEBSITE (510) 799-1518 garonnaise.com (707) 967-9645 tonnellerie-mercier.com (707) 935-3452 tonnellerie quintessence.com (707) 284-2888 radouxcooperage.com (707) 935-2176 (310) 452-8147 sirugueusa.com (707) 259-5344 tonnellerie-sylvain.fr (561) 540-4043 barrelmakers.com (707) 746-5704 vinoak.com (707) 255-5900 worldcooperage.com (707) 795-1800 xiberta.com For more on barrel suppliers, see Wines & Vines' 2011 Buyer's Guide in print or online at winesandvinesbuyersguide.com. Wines & Vines FeBRUARY 2011 33 793 BROADWAY, SONOMA CALIFORNIA 95476 TÉL. (707).935.2176 - FAX. (707).935.4774 remondsonoma@aol.com IN FRANCE - Tél 33 / 380.26.46.42 - Fax 33 / 380.26.49.92