Barrique
is the name for the wooden barrels of appropriate shape and volume,
which, in different French provinces, can vary from 80-305 liters.
The
world’s most famous is Bordeaux barriques of 225 liters. Wooden
containers for centuries have had a dominant role in the production,
storage and transportation of wine. In Europe, for this purpose, in
addition to the oak, chestnut wood, acacia and cherry wood were also
used. However, the last 20 years has been dominated by oak barrels -
partly due to the increased use of inert materials (stainless
steel), but also because the aroma of oak is best paired with wine.
So, in
additon the maturation of wine, barrique barrels are used for the
extraction of aromas and tannins, which are so important for quality
wines. That’s why their volume is so small – smaller wine barrels
give a stronger flavor of oak to the wine because, compared to the
small volume of wine in it, the surface of the barrel is big.
Barrique is therefore at the same time a name for the barrel, the
process of aging the wine in that barrel, and also a name for the
wine which has been aged in barrique barrels.
MAKING
BARRIQUE
BARRELS
Today,
barrique
barrels
are mostly
made
of
three
different
types of
oak:
sessile oak and
red oak
-
European
types of oak;
and
American
white
oak.
Wood
from
which the
barrels
are
made
is naturally
drying
for
24-30
months
under
the influence
of
climate
changes:
rain,
sun,
wind,
snow.
The
lower and middle
part
of the trunk is
carefully
tearing
along
the
structure
of the
wood
into
planks.
Dry
planks
are
folded by the use of
direct
fire,
and
then,
with
the help of
a
metal
ring
formed
in
the
barrel.
The
barrels
are
then
slowly
and
gently
burnt
(toasted),
to
highlight the
aroma
of
wood.
The level of toasting (combustion) can
be
low,
medium
or
high.
Oak
wood
consists
of
several
dominant
substances
which
decompose
by
burning, thereby
generating
new
substances
exceeding
the
wine.
Therefore,
the
quality of
the
barrel
depends
on
the type of
wood
but
also
on the
success of
toasting.
The
barrels
that
are
more toasted release aromas faster and more intensely into
the wine.
INFLUENCE
OF
THE
BARRIQUE BARREL
ON THE AROMA OF WINE
In
order to have “barrique taste” in the wine, the following
characteristics of
the
barrel
are very important: size,
thickness
and
charring
staves,
and
in particular the
quality
of the
oak
wood
which
enriches
the
wine
with tannins
and
vanilla.
The
strongest
flavor
comes
from
the most aromatic type of oak,
and
the more porous
wood
is, the stronger is the
flavor.
The most
porous
wood
is
usually
one
that
is
growing
the
fastest.
As oak
in the forest
Limousin
in
France
is growing
very fast,
it’s extremely
aromatic
and
gives
the wine
a
distinct
flavor
"of
oak". American
oak
from
wet
coastal
forests
of
California
gives the wine a
sweet
taste
of
coconut
and vanilla,
and French
oak
from the
cold
Baltic
forests
has
low
porosity
and
gives
the wine delicate aromas.
The
slowest-growing
oak
comes
from
the Tronco
forests
in
France,
and
many
consider it to be the best one.
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Barrels
are like lungs for wine
that is aging. Oxygen
slowly
enters
through
planks
of
the
barrel
causing
the
oxidation
of
wine.
This
process
allows
the
stabilization of
wine
color and
gives
the wine a
richer
flavor.
At
the same
time,
alcohol
and
water
evaporate from the barrels.
Yeasts
are
settled
at
the
bottom
of the barrel,
and the sweetness
and
tannins
from
the
oak
slowly
mixes
with
the wine,
giving
it a
special
flavor.
The
aroma
of
wood
that
wine
takes from
the
barrel
is
precisely the
scents
like
vanilla,
toast,
smoke
and
various
spices.
These
aromas
are
more complex
as
the barrel
is more toasted. Also,
more toasted barrels mean stronger contribution of
the
coconut
aroma.
When barrels are toasted most strongly, the aroma
of
the
wood
itself is
reduced, and
the scents of smoke stand out.
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