27/01/2020
In order to get the best wine in the cellars there are many tasks to be done. Perhaps one of them is curious to know for wine lovers. It is a matter of selecting the type of barrel that is most suitable for the aging of each wine. The offer is very diversified, in the market there are offers of barrels for each type of wine: white or red, by the specific characteristics that want to give each wine, the origin of the oak and, of course, its quality that it has a reflection on the price. Therefore the winery has to make two types of decisions: technical and economic.
Each barrel is priced at hundreds of euros and is used for a maximum of five vintages, and for white wines very often just one single vintage.
We were able to attend a winetasting for selecting the right oak barrel, which took place at the Toni Gelabert winery in Manacor. This was a critical review of the aging process made of white varieties: chardonnay and giró ros of the 2019 vintage in different types of oak barrels. The session was attended by winemakers, sommeliers and wine lovers alike to learn their opinions and recommendations. The ultimate purpose is that the next barrel orders will be the ones that have given the best quality performance so far.
The two grape varieties, once harvested, spent a few hours in steel tanks where the must was sludge and fermentation started, which was then completed in 300 L barrels for in about five months. Both types of wine then were aged in four types of boots, from different French companies. All boots were made from oaks from that country grown in different forests. All the barrels are of high quality, for an idea they all had a price of around 900 euros and they will be used for the wine of the 2019 vintage. At Toni Gelabert’s request, they all had a medium toast. soft.
The chosen companies make their barrels with firewood from the most prestigious forests of France: Allier and Jupilles, located to the center of the country and the one of Vosges, located in the northeast. These forests are within those that are considered as those that offer the highest quality wood. Barrels from the forest of Allier give the wine volume and persistence of the taste, those from Vosges, minerality and freshness, those of Jupilles retain the fruit flavor very well and give vanilla. Finally, another very versatile Jupilles barrel was used that offers a great variety of aromas and complexity of flavors.
The final result of the tasting was very positive. The two varieties of wine were of excellent quality: clear, aromatic colors, good acidity and pleasant and persistent taste. The influence of the barrel is noticeable in each wine tasted because each of them had different aromatic characteristics. Both varieties are rated positively with respect to used barrels. Of the chardonnay stands out the acidity of the wine, the conservation of the aromas of fruit rather citrus, lime, grapefruit and does not present the most traditional flavors of banana or pineapple. Noticeable hints of pastry are also noticeable. This vintage of Giró ros wine is very aromatic, with the characteristic aromas of honey and peach fruits. Very sharp. Mild. With excellent density.
As a conclusion of the tasting, it can be stated that all the barrels, in their diversity, have achieved a good aromatic integration in both chardonnay and Giró Ros, reinforcing the organoleptic characteristics of these two varieties. The wine to be put on the market will be a blend of the two varieties bred in the four types of boots.
