Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/83237
in 2011 WINEMAKING barrels. French barrels usually have to be trucked in from Oakland, Calif. He said he's regularly evaluating his barrel program because the quality of a cooper can sometimes shift. Abbott and other winemakers interviewed by Wines & Vines said that in the wake of recession certain coopers became more popular. As demand rose for those barrels, their pro- files changed slightly. That's one reason why Abbott said he doesn't rely on one or two coopers to supply his barrels. In terms of his winemaking, Abbott said his goal with oak is to finish the mid-pal- ate, and he likens it to repairing a pothole in a gravel road. Just the right amount of oak leads to a smooth finish, but too much and is like overdoing the gravel and mak- ing a speed bump rather than a repair. Because the wine is in barrels for 15 to 28 months, Abbott said he looks for a barrel that will "hold its cards a little lon- ger," providing "elegance and structure" to the wine rather than loading it up with oak flavor at the beginning of the aging process. That means a tight grain is quite important to him as well as thin staves for better oxygen movement through the barrel, especially as winters in Eastern Washington can be quite cold. For reds, Abbott said he likes Taransaud, Boutes, St. Martin, Tonnellerie de Ferrari and Bel Air. White wines are aged in only three-year, air dried Bur- gundy barrels, of which 40% are new and mostly from Francois Freres and Sirugue. Few major changes to oak programs Nearly three-fourths of the winemakers surveyed said they had not made any sig- nificant changes in the past two years. One of the winemakers who did was Kristy Melton, winemaker at Clos Du Val Wine Co. and the small winery Varozza Vineyards, both in Napa Valley. Melton said she did make a big change for the Varozza program, as she decided to go with a more subtle oak selection after taking over the winemaking duties from a previous winemaker. Clos Du Val, which produces 65,000 cases per year, tweaks its program occa- sionally in response to regular barrel trials and tastings, Melton said. When evaluating barrels, Melton said it's a process of identifying the most har- monious match between oak and wine. "Toast plays a huge factor, but that's easily changed. You can tell them to add more toast or back away," she said. "I like a pretty fine grain, but that's a different term for everybody.…You want some oak influence because that's what you're pay- ing all this money for." Melton said blistering is a concern as the pockets on the interior of a barrel are hard to spot and almost impossible to sanitize. One cooper that she said has taken good steps to resolve the issue is Vicard, which employs what it describes as the "micro- perforation" process. The procedure in- volves notching "micro-slits" into the staves of the barrel that help facilitate the release of trapped moisture during the toasting pro- cess and reduce the chance of blisters. It's a nice feature, Melton said, but she added that such technology is not as impor- tant to her as finding the right fit for the wine. Melton said she buys barrels from a large number of coopers for different rea- sons, but did mention a few by name. She has found a good fit for the Clos Du Val Carneros Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in Dargaud & Jaegle, which she described as "elegant and nuanced," and Allary, which "gives a bit of weight and a spice component that adds some interest- ing complexity to the wine." For the Cab- 34 WINES & VINES OCTOBER 2012