First, there is the raw material, the grape, the fruit of the vine. From this fabulous berry, a great wine will be born, crafted for long-term preservation. From this savory fruit, a wine commonly called an "everyday wine" can also be born. The ultimate goal, in both cases, is to preserve the soul of the wine—that soul which "sang in the bottles a song full of light and brotherhood," as Charles Baudelaire recounts in one of his poems.
Aging in stainless steel tanks will bring a savory aromatic framework to the wine. The gustatory neutrality of the stainless steel material allows the wine to fully express its fruity flavor, resulting in gems full of indulgence, freshness, and youth.
The barrel*, with its soft and caressing rounded shapes, will welcome full-bodied wines with mature and virile tannins. Its aging potential will be ensured thanks to the porous nature of the wood, which allows the wine to breathe. Its tannins will be softened and its color stabilized. In an elegant manner, woody and smoky notes will subtly join vanilla scents enveloped in flavors of sweet spices. The result will be a sapid, dense, and fleshy wine, yet not devoid of elegance and finesse.
The tun, this very large capacity cask generally oval or cylindrical in shape, will reveal light and discreet smoky fragrances enveloped in delicate fruit notes. There are few woody aromas for this type of aging because the wine has less contact with the wood. Slow and measured oxygenation will grant the beverage a long life. This results in a wine with harmonious flavors and a frank, generous character. Aging in a tun will not influence the wine in the same way as a smaller cask.
Aging in stainless steel tanks will offer less expensive wines than those aged in wood, which require more elaborate work, longer aging, more costly containers, and a share dedicated to the angels.
An aperitif will call for a fruity, fresh, and joyful wine, while a vigorous and savory meat will be paired with a full-bodied and assertive wine. It is up to you to choose how you want to treat yourself!
*Bordeaux barrel, 225 liters, slenderer and narrower, contains about 300 bottles of 75cl. The Burgundy cask, 228 liters, is more bulbous and ample.
