Barrel ageing

The great red wines of the world and part of the most outstanding whites are aged in oak barrels before bottling.

Barrel ageing enhances the wines, making them more complex and rich in nuances.

However, a good ageing process comprises two phases: one in the barrel and another in the bottle. Once in the bottle, the wine is polished, rounded and achieves its maximum potential. For this reason the ageing (not the preservation) of a wine always involves two phases:

• An initial oxidization stage, carried out in the barrel.
• A final reduction phase which takes place in the bottle.

During the maturing or ageing period, the wine commences to develop its taste qualities, whilst also acquiring limpidity and stability. Ideally the wine is aged in an oak barrel (in the past the use of chestnut and cherry wood was more due to availability than to ideal properties). Vat ageing will never achieve the same levels of quality. Having said this, before putting wine into a barrel, it is necessary to consider whether the wine is of an adequate quality and whether the added value obtained justifies the expense. Ageing costs are due to:

• The high price of barrels, which can range between 250 to 650 Euros for a 225 litre one and which has a recommended maximum 6 year life.
• The high cost of labour for filling, cleaning and racking.
• Losses through wood absorption which, for a new barrel, amount to 5 litres of wine.
• The permanent financial investments to be sustained.

Healthy ageing in an inert vat is preferable to using old barrels of doubtful origin and use (microbial contamination, increased volatile acidity and the appearance of bad tastes).

Some positive aspects of ageing:

Wood plays a decisive role in the wine development. A new, aromatic oak wood barrel has a determining influence on the wine maturing process (particularly if the wine has a promising structure and is rich in tannins).

The key advantages are as follows:

• Transfer of aromatic and taste (tannins) qualities from the wood.
• Precipitation of unstable substances, for increased limpidity.
• Progressive and ongoing micro-oxidation (ageing).

These aspects are in turn conditioned by the origin of the oak, the drying process, the barrel making technique employed and by the age and use of the barrel.