Traditionally, most quality French red and white wines are made and matured in oak barrels. French barrels contain either 228 (Burgundian barrels) or 225 (Bordeaux barrels) liters of wine.
The oak
The barrels are made with French oak, usually from the forest of Tronçais or Allier . The French oak has unique characteristics that makes it very popular among winemakers from all over the world: the grain of the wood is very fine and it brings elegant aromatic qualities.
The make
The trunks of the selected oak trees are cut up in staves. The staves are stored in the open air until they are dry and the sap is all gone.
The staves are then soaked, assembled and held in place with iron circles. They are curved into shape thanks to a fire lit inside the barrel.
Depending on the intensity and the duration of the fire, the inside of the barrel will be lightly or heavily toasted or charred.
The impact on wine
The use of oak barrels has a considerable impact on wines:
- Because new oak is porous, the wines in barrels are in indirect contact with the oxygen from the air, which affects the chemical reactions in the barrel. There is also an important evaporation.
- The use of oak barrels also brings specific aromas to the wines. Depending on how heavily toasted the inside of the barrel has been, the aromas range from vanilla and nuts (light toast) to empyromatic notes (burnt rubber, smoke…)
Find here a study on the impact of oak.
A few barrel makers: