Merche’s Diary – Day 4
As you will have already noticed, many of my days are spent surrounded by oak barrels. For me, these barrels are very special. They are not simple storage vessels, but rather custodians of the mystery of this great wine that will seduce you with its aroma and conquer your palate.
Tannins are phenolic molecules that are present in the grape and therefore in the wine, but each barrel also transfers the tannins that are naturally present in the wood to the wine that it contains. During the time that the wine is in the barrel, the simple tannin molecules (from the grape and the oak) react with one another and create other molecules (polymers) that are much more reactive and less astringent (the wine softens) and we also achieve much more complex chemical molecules that bring us infinite nuances when tasting (tertiary aromas).
Another very important process is the fixing of colour in red wines. The micro-oxygenation that occurs through the pores and the spaces between the staves of the barrels causes ethanol to form (oxidised alcohol) and this is the «bridge» that brings together the tannin and the anthocyanin in a very stable union that allows the colour to be fixed in time and not lost. All these processes that take place within a barrel are always alive and in constant change, making ageing exciting, something that gives each barrel its own essence.
Thanks to this micro-oxygenation, with the passage of time, the tonalities of the wine will change, evolving from a violet red towards a more terracotta red as the fixed anthocyanins are oxidised. This maturation process also affects the nose and palate: the wine becomes more «complex», more elegant and bit-by-bit it is «tamed» and filled with many important molecules. To sum up…it gets greater! In definitive, Bodegas Montecillo’s wines would not be the same without these barrels. This is why I put a lot of care into their selection. Every year we take great care to study our suppliers’ offers through tastings and analysis to choose the most appropriate type of wood and level of toast and we replace our barrels when they reach the end of their optimum lifespan. Currently, oak is king, but not all types of oak are equal. I prefer to use American oak for our Crianzas, French oak for the Gran Reserva wines and a mixture of French and American for the Reservas.
I don’t assign them at whim; there is logic behind my selection, depending on the style of wine. American oak forests have a lower density and grow much wider, so they have more open pores. The process of “oaking” the wine is much quicker, as the oxygen can get through in greater quantities and in less time, and the transfer of aromatic compounds is very fast (bringing, above all, sweet whisky-like, creamy and vanilla notes.) This speed is of benefit to wines with a short ageing time.
On the other hand, French forests are very thick, therefore, as the trees compete for light, they grow very tall but not so wide. This produces a dense, tightly grained wood, (with narrow growth rings), meaning that the wine evolves slowly in them. French oak contributes more tannins and aromatics than American oak, but the process is much slower, and therefore, it is, of course, a great advantage for wines that undergo long ageing.
In the case of French oak, the staves (the curved planks from which the barrels are made) are cleft with an axe, following the tree’s growth rings, as if it were done any other way, the wood would crack, whereas American oak can be cut with a saw. Therefore, less of the French oak can be used, and the construction of the barrels is much more expensive (You can get three American oak barrels out of the same amount of wood used for one French barrel.) But when you taste a Gran Reserva wine and discover all its nuances, you know that it was worth it.
So don’t be surprised if from time to time you see me strolling through the winery like today: really I’m visually checking the state of the barrels, checking that they are filled up to the right level, there is no damage or shrinkage, and they look clean and well sealed. They are key factor in our production and we have to be exacting in storing them. From the temperature conditions and humidity to how they look on the outside. Yes, how they look. We can’t allow something that is so important for us to not look its best! We paint the middle section with a natural dye that comes from grapes and we proudly mark each of them with our name, crest and date of foundation. Not all wineries can claim to have been born in 1874 and still keep their passion for wine alive. And I can’t think of a better place to display it than on these casks where our treasure comes to life.
