Barrels

Wood as a verb

The barrel is where wine spends its quietest months. French oak, toasted to a range, adds structure and spice — or ruins you if you lean too hard.

The program

oak        French, allier forest
toast      medium to medium-plus
new        about 25% each vintage
coopers    three, chosen for grain

Why restraint

Oak should be a frame, not a costume. Too much new wood and you taste the barrel, not the vineyard. We aim for the middle.