FRENCH OAK

FRENCH OAK WOOD: SOME ANECDOTES.

Its name means "beautiful tree" and its appearance has done justice from the beginning of time: always being majestic, elegant and imposing, oak wood has been a source of enchantment in parks and gardens, and also a source of worship among various nations. There is evidence that shows the use of wooden barrels in the fifth century: this way, they replace the clay amphoraes, used to storage and transport wine, providing better conditions for its maintenance.

In 1794 the convention of the French Revolution declared the oak tree as the: "Tree of Freedom" because of the hardness and durability of its wood. However, it was already a requested type of wood in times of classical antiquity, when acorns were thrown at the newlyweds in Rome as an sign of prosperity for the newly married. With over 250 species, oak is a tree which has a slow growth.

The two main French oakwoods are those located in the central region (Nevers, Allier and Troncais) and in Limousin. The one located in the central region comes from the species petraea or Quercus sessilis, one of the best for wines’ aging. It is tall and thin and its grain is fine, having 45 g / kg of tannin. The one located in Limousin, however, comes from the species Quercus robur and pedunculata: trees provide a porous and wide grain wood. They have 55 g / kg of tannins and they are used for wine distillates, such as Cognac and Armagnac.

BARREL FROM MENDOZA: OBJECT OF DESIRE.

It is known that the first vineyards in Mendoza date from the mid-nineteenth century, reaching a staggering number of 90,000 hectares in 1936, according to official records . Miguel Gascón Escorihuela, founder of the homonymous winery in 1884, one of the oldest in Mendoza, was a Spanish immigrant who frequently traveled to France to know the latest trends and knowledge about wines. His name is one of the most remarkable in the wine industry: not only did he give rise to a tradition ... but also he was one of the most famous importers of French oak barrels.

Barrel production is a delicate activity and an exquisite art that, in spite of the coopers, is endangered: wineries have replaced wooden barrels with stainless steel ones due to phytosanitary issues, leaving only some abandoned and disused barrels in some of the oldest wineries. The first thing the cooper did during his task was to select those parts of the wood that had no knots in order to prevent liquid loss and oxidation thereof. Wood was then cut into strips to put together the hogshead staves of the barrels, which were left drying between 18 and 36 months. Once ready, they were given shape and were organized vertically around a ring: the outside was dampened and the inside was heated by a brazier for the perfect toasted of the oak wood. The completion of the barrels was given by sealing them, placing the lids and filling them with boiling water and steam to produce wood’s swelling.

Barrels arrived to the country by ships. They were dissasembled and with all their pieces numbered, in order to be assembled at destination. Once filled, a slow communion began between wine and wood, each of them offering the best for the other: the texture of tannins, the moisture ofwine, the aroma of wood and its natural age are part of the balanced equation that achieves the perfect tasting.

OAK WOOD TODAY: RECOVERED PIECES.

The swollen, moist and aromatic oak wood of the barrels has gone throuugh a long way to finally turn into this unique wood which is full of stories. Its european origin generates a perfect blend with its argentinean identity: it was precisely here, in these ancient lands from the province of Mendoza, in the Valley of Huentata where it acquired its character, its final color and its appearance. The smoky flavors with hints of vanilla, coconut or caramel, together with the intensity of chocolate or coffee are part of its charm. Nowadays, Argentina is one of the few countries in the world that still preserves French oak barrels of this size, although in very limited quantity.

Recovered oak woods from barrels are much more than a floor, a brace, a piece of furniture or a design object. They have been witnesses, for more than one hundred years, of a noble and memorable search: the search of the sensory experience. The flavor, the aroma and the texture are the same senses that combine the encounter with the wood. The toast is unforgettable, the feeling is eternal.