OK gang. After counting my grape estimates twice, it looks like I could use some more neutral barrels. I am looking for something like 15-20 of them. If you have more, a buddy of mine needs some as well. My first choice is ones used for white wine, 3 yrs old or more is fine. As a second choice, I could use some red bbls from a very good source, if we can be sure that they are clean, not brett etc.
Of course, closer to me is better, but either way, I can see that this is something I need.
I’m curious as to why that would be. With all of the Chard and Sauvignon in CA, one would think that used white barrique would be easy to come by. Unless they eventually get used for Red.
When I was at Peachy we would contact the big Chard producers in the area- we got barrels a few times from Edna Valley. If there are white producers who do large volume and use barrels, it’s probably best to contact them directly.
The problem is finding neutral white barrels, which is what Andrew wrote that he was looking for. There are plenty of once-used white barrels around - from producers who use lots of new oak on their Chards - but older ones are tough to find, so they are pricier than older red barrels. Ed Kurtzman in SF may have a few (got a couple of older white barrels from him last year) but I doubt that he has anywhere near 15-20. Worth checking with him though. Linda’s suggestion sounds good too.
What Ken says is generally right, and this year there are other factors as well. We are seeing what should be a normal to big year after 2 low production years. So, I have many fewer of my own used red BBL’s. The same is true for many producers. So, the used white BBLs have gone faster than usual.
The other reason that whites are in more demand is that used white wine BBL’s are a much less likely vector for Brett and other red wine issues. So, if I need to use someone else’s red wine BBL’s, I need to be much more careful and picky.
Does anyone have any experience of putting white wine into barrels that have been used several times for reds? How powerful is the colour change and are there any other issues, except Brett as mentioned above?
I have never put white into a red bbl. A winery that is not far from us did. The wine was an orangish-brown color and it was a Sauvignon Blanc. It was not very enjoyable, but I am not sure that the bbl was the only problem.
I don’t think Brett is usually an issue with whites, however, so if you don’t mind an odd color, let us know how it turns out.
Cripes! What a market for whites! $385 for 2 year old bbls from a broker on the WBM site. I asked a friend about white bbls the other night and he said I was the 4th winemaker that day to ask him. Anybody ever buy from a broker? I’ve assumed that people with “problem” bbls moved them through brokers.
After searching high and low and in between I posted an ad on wine business. And it turns out Recoop in Sebastpol has them. I know it’s a tough decision not buying directly from a winery but they seem to be the only ones who have them. I have called all the big chard houses in Soboma County to no avail so Recoop is the was we are going.
Same experience here Andrew. Some winery hands put chard in a red barrel at the winery for SC Barrel Tasting and the wine was pink. Maybe the AFWE would appreciate this?
I have 7 neutral clean burg barrels:
3x Remond/2007
1x Latour/2007 1
1x Taransaud/06-07?
1x Remond/?
1x Francois F/2007
Purchased from very clean winery (used for Chard), currently at my new location–Alpha Omega–where Burg Barrels not welcome. I used them in 2011 for about 30 days for rosé lots with SO little color I would imagine still fine for white wine production. I’m saving them for a good cause that may never happen and our cellar is crowded at AO. Cellarmaster Henrik would be grateful if I sold them. Contact me by email emily@viragenapavalley.com or (707) 480-9155.
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