"THE
BEAN"
& "BARREL ON A ROPE"
From the "Stavin"
people, these are the only
kind of barrel alternatives
that we have found to be equivalent to aging in an oak barrel.
Of course, barrel
alternatives do
not condense nor micro-oxygenate
the wine as barrels do. However ours do supply the
oak flavor/aroma
equivalent
of being in a new barrel.
The secret is the
real oak fire-toasted
"gradient"
found only in our oak inserts.
All
other
chips, cubes, and staves parts on the market are
oven toasted
completely through, resulting in just a one-dimensional,
simplistic
toastiness. What you want from a barrel is the whole
gradient
of roasting that provides the sweet caramel, honey, vanilla,
almond,
coffee, and chocolate flavors/aromas.
This, plus
30 months naturally seasoned oak,
is what you
get from our oak
"Beans" and the
"Barrel on a Rope"
French Oak "Beans" - $2.25/oz.
Dose per 5 gallons wine: Try 2.5
oz for 2 months for strong oak intensity
or .5 oz. for
2 months for a more subtle background hint.
Less for
longer is always preferred for complete penetration and extraction.
French Oak
"Barrel on a Rope" -
$39.95
Taste
and smell regularly until you get the oak influence that you want.
These are 6 (about 12"
long) new stave pieces, linked together with food-grade nylon zip ties,
for easy insertion
into and removal from a winery size, 60 gal.,
barrel.
One end has a
stainless steel eye hook that hangs from the barrel bung.
(sorry, too
large for glass carboys)
They are custom toasted, using real oak fire, to either a "Rhone" style (equivalent to "Medium Plus" barrel toasting) that is a delicate/subtle balance of toast, vanillin, and spice flavors and aromas.
Or,
for a more intense vanillin and toastiness, use the
"Bordeaux" style (equivalent to "Medium Plus" barrel toasting).
You get a
conservative, not overwhelming, amount of extraction in 2-3 months.
That's equivalent
to ~ 3 months in a new, tight grain, 60 gallon French Oak Barrel.
Use in non-new to neutral barrels to add just the right touch of "new oak".