Fermentation with Oak & Designing a Barrel Program Joshua Maloney Red Winemaker Chateau Ste. Michelle

Overview  Fermentation with Oak Goals Factors that influence effect Common Methods Examples  Designing a Barrel Program General Overview of CSM Red Barrel Program Evaluation and Evolution of the Program  Personal Experiences Not necessarily universally accepted practices

Fermentation with Oak

Fermentation with Oak What is the Goal?  Affecting Style Level of Expression / Integration  Oak Expression – Quantity of Oak Aroma and Flavor, not necessarily quality  Oak Integration – Oak aromas or flavors that are virtually indiscernible from the grape aromas or flavors Alteration / Removal of specific aromas  Vegetal aromas

Factors that influence Expression & Integration  Type of Oak Toast Level / Oak Source affects type and quality of tannin Relationship between surface area/volume and extraction rate  Higher Surface Area/Volume ratio corresponds to faster extraction

Factors that influence Expression & Integration  Temperature Higher temperatures correspond to faster extraction rates They also correspond to faster fermentation rates  Condition of the wine % Solids “Clean” wines tend to extract oak faster than “Dirty” wines

Expression vs. Integration  Faster Extraction High expression, Low integration  Slower Extraction Low expression, High integration

Design Oak Fermentation Protocols for different outcomes  High Expression / Low Integration Use Chips, not barrels Ferment Warm & Fast Get the juice as clean as possible  Low Expression / High Integration Use barrels Ferment cool & Slow Let the juice stay dirty

Fermentation with Oak is not just for Whites  MLF for Reds in Barrel Better integration Cooler barrel room temperatures slow down MLF  Safe winemaking doesn’t always make the best wine Importance of monitoring  Primary Fermentation and Oak Contact Oak Chips

Oak Chips and Red Fermentation  Goals for Fermentation Differ from goals for Aging Reduction / Elimination of Vegetal characters Little to no perceptible Oak character  Addition Rates and observed effect

Oak Chip Addition Rates Chip Size Desired Effect “Dust / Flour” Small ChipsLarge Chips Reduction in Vegetal Aromas ½ - 1lbs. per ton 1 – 3 lbs. per ton 2 – 6 lbs. per ton Reduce Vegetal Aromas / Add Mild Oak Aroma 1 – 2 lbs. per ton 3 – 6 lbs. per ton 6 – 12 lbs. per ton Reduce Vegetal Aromas / Add Pronounced Oak Aroma and Tannin 2 + lbs. per ton 6 + lbs. per ton 12 + lbs. per ton

Designing a Barrel Program

Chateau Ste. Michelle Red Program Overview  44,000 barrels total  2009 Barrel Purchase 6,000 barrels total 75 different barrel types 1/3 French, 2/3 American  Quantity determined by case volume Desired (budgeted) % New Oak x Case volume = # of barrels Don’t forget about total barrel needs (i.e. used barrels)

Evaluation  Barrels vs. Grapes Both having growing seasons  Variability Both use human hands to be fashioned into an end product If you scrutinize your grapes, you should also scrutinize your barrels  Evaluation is key Improving barrel usage Guarding against changes at cooperage Customizing for your purpose

Barrel Trial Method  Create “Mother” Lot  Fill multiple barrel types FO Trial / AO Trial / Syrah Trial  Evaluate at regular intervals Impressions and impact change over time  The best barrel at 6 months might be the worst at 18 months  Use evaluations to influence barrel purchases and applications

Other Points to Consider  Taste with your Coopers Show them their barrels in context with their competitors Point out benchmarks, make changes to underperforming barrels Find coopers that speak your language  Continual Evaluation and Evolution Keep working with Coopers to get better barrels, even from your top performers Make small changes from year to year

Thank You  Questions? 