Here’s why Tonnellerie Berthomieu has chosen its unique steam pre-toasting technique during barrel production.
Tonnellerie Berthomieu’s signature technique is applied after the « mise en rose”: the barrel is placed on a chain conveyor, which carries it through a steam tunnel several meters long. Once out of the tunnel, the “rose” is ready for the bending and toasting stages. In addition to its mechanical action on the wood, steam has multiple benefits.
The steam penetrates deep into the wood, dilating its pores and leaching out some of its tannins. Intensive steaming thus has a final “purifying” effect on the wood, helping to eliminate harsh tannins: a study carried out by Laboratoire Exact in 2014 demonstrated a 94% reduction in the quantity of ellagitanins in wood after steaming, compared with 78% degradation during traditional bending.
This steam treatment, which gently dilates the pores of the wood, makes toasting much more penetrating and gentle than traditional toasting on dry wood. Thanks to this pre-toasting method, it’s possible to carry out a long, gentle toasting phase that preserves and respects the wine’s original fruitiness.
On tasting, wines aged in steam-bent barrels display aromatic intensity and complexity.
The marriage of wine and oak aromas is harmonious and the palate balanced.
In addition to the barrel bending process, the origin, aging time, stave sorting and toasting are all criteria that nuance the barrel profile.
