Benefits of de MERCUREY barrels

Oak selection is Nicolas Tarteret’s specialty.
Together with his team of foresters at NT BOIS
in Champagne, Nicolas chooses oak according to
strict guidelines including color profiles, oak aromas and grain specifications.

Nicolas understands oak origins but doesn’t believe they accurately define quality. A trip into the woods with Nicolas explains his oak philosophy. Time and time again when looking at the end cut of a felled oak, one finds notable quality differences within a single log. Often the northern side of the tree yields darker colored wood with earthy aromas while the southern side may be lighter colored with aromas of fresh cut oak. Within a single forest, oak trees can be culled from rocky hillsides or swales with poor drainage and each location will yield varying oak qualities. These differences can be seen across most forests, making the notion of origins as a defining mark of quality a moot point. By choosing to grade oak according to guidelines of color, grain and aroma, across all forest origins, NT Bois can provide consistent stave profiles to Tonnellerie de MERCUREY, leading to greater barrel to barrel consistency for its winemaking clients.

After harvesting, the selected logs are trucked to NT Bois for on-site evaluation. Logs that pass this second inspection are processed using a mix of human and automated grading techniques that sort the staves for the highest yield according to their end usage. Nicolas Tarteret has developed an assemblage technique that ensures a reproducible high quality mix for de MERCUREY barrels. Staves that do not meet these strict guidelines are set aside for cognac staves.

Sorted and blended staves are then seasoned naturally for either two
or three winters at NT Bois’ aging park in the rainy Champagne region.
Aged staves are inspected, planed and jointed at NT Bois before being
shipped to Tonnellerie de MERCUREY for coopering.

At Tonnellerie de MERCUREY in Burgundy, the staves are inspected again
upon arrival before entering production. A tongue and groove system is
used for the heads thereby eliminating moisture, dowels, nails or the use of reeds.

Using toasting regimes developed and tested by local Mercurey oenologist
Bruno Lorenzon, the cooperage uses water and fire intensity to craft varietal
specific toasts. The depth and intensity of the toast penetration is crucial to
bringing desirable flavors and aromas out of the seasoned oak.
Tonnellerie de MERCUREY specializes in long toasting profiles that seek
to frame the fruit without masking the inherent complexities that make your wine unique.

After passing the toast inspection and being fitted with heads, de MERCUREY barrels are pressure tested, sanded, lasered, wrapped and stored in a temperature-controlled warehouse before shipment. During the final inspection every barrel is given a number that traces its production from start to finish.

Nicolas Tarteret is a demanding individual who has left no stone unturned in his quest to create high quality French oak Burgundy barrels. If you are seeking consistently elegant Burgundy barrels to match your vineyards with personality, look to barrels from Tonnellerie de MERCUREY.