{"id":16182,"date":"2017-02-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-01-31T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bodegasmontecillo.com\/novedades\/in-barrel-wine-tasting\/"},"modified":"2024-04-25T22:53:02","modified_gmt":"2024-04-25T20:53:02","slug":"in-barrel-wine-tasting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bodegasmontecillo.com\/en\/news\/in-barrel-wine-tasting\/","title":{"rendered":"In barrel wine tasting"},"content":{"rendered":"

Merche’s Diary<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>– Day 5<\/b><\/h2>\n

Work here never ends! Of course, the harvest has given us a lot to do this year<\/strong>. Well, as it always does! But you understand that the wine from the recently harvested grapes is not the only one that we have here, right? The wine from last year’s vintage is in barrels now, and the wine from previous years may be completing its ageing in oak, or may already be rounding itself off in bottle… And I need to keep a close eye on each of the vintages at their particular stage of development<\/strong>, observing how they evolve and making decisions constantly. <\/span>
\nToday I went along a section of barrels that contain the 2015 vintage to check how they are evolving<\/strong>. We need to know if the oak is influencing them correctly<\/strong> and the ageing process is progressing as it should. To do so it is vital to check the barrel levels<\/strong>, as, being new, they always produce more losses, and we have to fill them up to the right level. Although I know that wine is not an animal, in Bodegas Montecillo, sometimes we find wines that enter the barrel like fighting bulls in a pen. They have huge potential, but they need to be tamed<\/strong> to extract the elegance and nobility that they hold inside.<\/span>
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\nThis \u00abtaming\u00bb takes place in oak barrels<\/strong>, which, as I have commented already, also add their own tannins to the wine. The barrels are responsible for adding enriching notes to the taste profile<\/strong>: vanilla, cocoa, coffee, eucalyptus… The wine, in contact with the barrel, acquires all the properties that the wood contains. But, take care, these nuances do not just occur spontaneously or at whim: they depend on the demanding processes of drying and toasting of the wood<\/strong>, which, from the moment it is cut, undergoes a complex series of treatments to harness the natural elements that will help us in the ageing process. \u00a0<\/span>
\nThe natural drying in the open air<\/strong>, which is guaranteed to take place for at least 24 months<\/strong>, is of great importance<\/strong>, as if this did not occur, the wood would be green and give very unpleasant compounds to the wine. \u00a0As you will see, it is absolutely fundamental to have a close relationship with the cooper and his good work. <\/span>
\nOn the other hand, the toasting is also decisive<\/strong>. \u00a0For example, in the case of American oak, a light or delicate toasting<\/strong> preserves lots of coconut aromas, a medium toast<\/strong> will remove coconut and increase the vanilla component, with medium-plus<\/strong> we lose all the coconut, but gain intense vanilla and roasted coffee and toast notes start to be added; finally, with a high toast<\/strong>, the toasted and roasted coffee notes predominate. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n