Experiments

Several experiments exist for the vinification of red grape varieties in barrels.

Numerous methods are used: upright single-ended barrels, horizontal barrels with the grapes inserted through the bung hole, use of special barrels with modified bung holes, etc.

All have given very good results but were never fully developed due to the difficulties and high cost necessary to implement them.

Thanks to OXOline® supports which allow barrels to be rotated and handled separately, Tonnellerie Baron has developed «Vinification Intégrale®» complete vinification. This technique allows the harvested grapes to be properly placed in the barrels and all the classic vinification operations can be carried out without the costly round trip dispatch of barrels or coopers.

In this way, the entire vinification process takes place in the barrel and the aromatic potential of the grapes is completely preserved.