French Oak
Tonnellerie Sylvain (Bordeaux)
The Tonnellerie Sylvain is in Libourne in the Bordeaux region and was founded in 1957. The production of over 30,000 barrels a year is made selecting oak trees from the most beautiful French forests that are managed sustainably by the National Forestry Organization.
The barrel profiles are based on a very selective process aimed at the benefits of grain tightness.
Sylvain Blanc
Selection
Reserve
Grand Reserve
Signature - Limited Series
Biodynamie - Limited Series
Sylvain barrels are recognized worldwide for their elegant aromas and will help wine to have better structure in the mid and back palate.
Tonnellerie Meyrieux (Burgundy)
The Tonnellerie Meyrieux near Beaune in Burgundy crafts about 4,000 barrels/year choosing oak trees from specific forests plots.
The oak staves are aged in a unique chimney stack pattern for an homogeneous exposure to sunshine, wind and rain.
Meyrieux offers Three barrel profiles
Premier Cru
Tradition
Grand Selection
Five toasting regimes
Blonde
Medium
A Coeur
Max
Heavy
Grenier Oak Tanks (Burgundy)
The JLS group now includes Marc Grenier, a prestigious Oak Tank builder in Beaune, Burgundy. Grenier is an innovator in creating new types of conical oak tanks and foudres and has supplied the most renowned wineries in France and abroad. The production is now managed by Remi Sylvain and there have been major renovation and expansion of the production facility.
We provide Truncated Oak Tanks (Cuve) for fermenting and aging, as well as Oval and Round Tanks (Foudre) for aging.
French Oak is Special
The ONF (National Forestry Office)
The ONF (National Forestry Office)
The ONF (National Forestry Office)
The ONF manages all french forests owned by the government with very strict rules. An army of 10,000 workers oversees 11million Hectares of forest.
A 250 year growth cycle
The ONF (National Forestry Office)
The ONF (National Forestry Office)
These majestic oak trees are not planted by humans, they follow a natural 250 growth cycle with very little man intervention.
Haute Futaie
The ONF (National Forestry Office)
Haute Futaie
A Haute Futaie is a mature oak tree of about 50-80cm in diameter and 200-250years old. It grows straight up looking for sunlight and fighting for its survival.
Sessile Oak
Aging the staves
Haute Futaie
The Sessile Oak species has a distinct look and provides more pleasant aromas and less tannin than its counterpart the Pedonculate Oak specie. You will find more vanilla, eugenol and whisky-lactone aromas.
Logs are split
Aging the staves
Aging the staves
The first step to insure quality is to split trunk sections following the natural grain direction of the oak to insure leak proof staves. Eventually the staves are cut in to the ideal size.
Aging the staves
Aging the staves
Aging the staves
The action of letting staves age naturally in open air allows for enzymes to eat away harsh tannin over 24 to 36 months. Sunlight, rain, heat and cold and wind patterns all play a very important role.