It all starts in the forest: our barrels are made of oak from trees that are at least 120 years old that have a diameter of at least 50cm. We source the majority of our supplies from two local forests (Argonne and La Montagne de Reims) and we also source some oak from other famous French forests.
Barrel-making is a long process comprising many stages in which water, wind and
fire all play a crucial role.
On average, one oak tree provides us with 1.5 m 3 of wood that we can then make into staves.
It takes 10 m 3 of wood to make just 2 m 3 of staves which in turn is enough to make 20 barrels (of between 205 and 228 litre capacity).
The staves are left out in the open air for 3 – 4 years where the action of the sun and the weather reduces the bitterness and astringency of the wood whilst enhancing its aromas and tone until it reaches perfect maturity. The ultimate objective is to preserve the finesse and elegance of the wines.
This is another important stage that consists in heating the barrel to make it water-tight. The shell of the barrel is presented in the « en robe » position (sometimes called the Rose position) and once in place, the inside is heated to allow the barrel to be pinched together to make it perfectly water-tight.
Toasting the barrel is a crucial step from the point of view of the wine maker and the toast is adjusted according to whether a very discreet or a more pronounced woody character is wanted in the wine.
Le Bousinage, which is the final phase of the toasting, releases the most silky and elegant aromas in the wood: vanilla, lime blossom, coffee, toast and spices. One of the specialities of La Tonnellerie is the slow, soft toasting we carry out at low temperatures.
In this operation grooves are cut into the chime (lip) of the douelles at both top and bottom, so that the barrel lids fit perfectly.
Lengths of wood are laid out side by side and held in place with stainless steel dowel pins. A thin layer of straw is inserted between each piece to ensure a completely water-tight seal.
The top hoops are removed to loosen the staves. Then we coat the base of the lip of the barrel with a paste made of gluten-free buckwheat, ash and water to ensure the barrel is water-tight.
The barrels are immersed in water to make sure there are no leaks and to wash off any foreign particles that may have become stuck to the sides. The barrel is then thoroughly rinsed and finally it is sanded to leave a smooth surface.
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