What is “Élevage”?
Élevage is a French term which describes the processes of breeding and raising to maturity in animal husbandry. In wine-making, it describes the processes necessary for “bringing up” grapes to wine. Among wine-makers, it is common knowledge these are complex processes that require mindfulness and work to bring out a wine’s characteristics, qualities, and potential.
There are three stages to Elevage:
- Allow the wine to continue to work on its own during fermentation;
- Perform a series of periodic rackings for clarification and evaluating chemistry during barrel aging and storage;
- After bottling.
I Believe in Extended Barrel Aging
I chose my business model of extended barrel aging out of practicality. As a new start-up winery in 2007, I was an overly ambitious vintner who made more red wine than we could possibly market in our first year of operation. I decided to bottle half my reds after 11 months in the barrel and cellar the remainder for another year. The improved quality of the second bottling, born out of necessity, amazed me. I attribute it to a well grounded scientific phenomenon known as “polymerization”.
Polymerization – Makes Good Things Better & Bad things Worse
Polymerization is “a chemical reaction in which two or more small molecules combine to form larger molecules that contain repeating structural units of the original molecules”. In plain English, barrel aging can improve the structure, complexity, and smoothness of the wine by softening the tannins. I barrel age our reds a minimum of 2 1/2 years. On several occasions I have aged specific varieties from 5 1/2 to 7 1/2 years. Extended barrel aging, however, is not a panacea, and should be done with caution. Wine requires monitoring because it is not static. If a wine has issues, polymerization will replicate and concentrate them. Think Hydrogen Sulfide issues, rotten-egg smells and eventually mercaptans.
Roll out the Barrel
Strictly controlled temperature and humidity are very important for barrel aging. Cool and consistent cellar temperatures (55F – 60F) allow the red wine to mature slowly resulting in more complex flavors, aroma, and structure. Cellar temperatures above 65F can promote the rapid growth of harmful bacteria resulting in a flawed wine. We rack our red wines once every nine to twelve months, cleaning the barrels thoroughly at each occurrence while applying sulfites sparingly. Each year about two gallons of wine will evaporate (The Angels Share) through the natural pores in the barrel and further intensify the structure of the wine. This strictly controlled, slow polymerization significantly enhances the smoothness and structure of the finished wine.
It’s a Business Decision
The typical Bordeaux style wine barrel holds 59 gallons of wine. Barrels are typically made from French, Hungarian, or American oak. It is charred on the inside to light, medium, medium plus, or heavy toast. Each degree of toasting will impart different flavors to the wine ranging from vanilla to smoky or heavy spice. Wine barrels constitute a major expense of a winery. French oak ranges from $875 to $1400 per barrel. Some wineries bottle their reds wines after 11 months in the barrel because it frees-up empties for the next harvest. Other wineries choose an 18 month aging cycle to reach a compromise resulting in a slightly more mature wine at the expense of tying up the barrels for a second season.
Case in Point
No pun intended! I have outlined my extended barrel aging practices in the following red wine tech sheets:
- Dutchman’s Creek Blend (N/V)
- Tannat Reserve (2011)
- Tannat Reserve (2012)
- Cabernet France (2014)
- Petit Verdot (2015)