Feel

Upon arrival on site, the staves undergo numerous checks, are carefully cataloged before being methodically stacked by our teams, always with the utmost respect for the material.

From this point, they are left to the sun, rain, and wind to dry naturally for several months. After this phase, the oak staves are directed to the preparation workshop, where our teams proceed with trimming, shaving, and jointing to shape the staves.

The staves, the main components of the barrel, are then aligned using an assembly table. The fabrication begins with the many expert hammer blows of the cooper, who, adjusting the staves one by one, forms the barrel using assembly hoops.

“It smells like fresh bread from the baker,” say most observers, with whom the coopers eagerly share the scents filling the workshops during the toasting process, contributing to the warm atmosphere of the place.

“Others detect aromas of candied fruits, cocoa…”. Toasting is the most crucial step in the making of the barrel, the true revealer. It’s the moment when the cooper expresses his own identity, his signature.

Subtly blending the properties of two seemingly opposing elements, fire and water, the artisan shapes the precious vessel, highlighting the quality of the carefully selected oak, sublimating each of its characteristics to achieve the perfect harmony with the wine that will mature in contact with it.

Once the barrel has adopted its curved shape, it’s time for the cooper to adjust its two ends, whose radius is determined using a compass. The unique aspect of each piece is further emphasized by these never identical measurements from one end to another.

The cooper then uses a trimmer to make the grooves where the ends, branded with the cooperage’s emblem, vintage, and toasting level, will fit to ensure the barrel’s seal. After the hoops are tightened a bit more, it is tested during steaming.

During this stage, the barrel will take on its final shape both inside and outside. The silky texture of the wood and its shimmering appearance are achieved through an initial sanding.

The assembly hoops, the cooper’s accomplices in almost all stages of fabrication, are then replaced with galvanized steel hoops, which are by definition permanent.

The beauty and grain of the wood, the full nobility of French oak in its quintessence, brings the final touch of “handmade” craftsmanship at the end of the finishing sanding.

As a true artist proud of his work, the cooper places his initials on the stave of the barrel. The second life of these precious oak essences from central France can then begin in contact with the finest nectars.

Si notre gamme de barriques respecte scrupuleusement la même forme quelle que soit sa contenance, deux types de finition permet de l’enrichir un peu plus encore.While our range of barrels strictly follows the same shape regardless of its capacity, two types of finishes can further enrich it.

Indeed, in addition to the hooped Bordeaux barrel, the client can choose the so-called traditional Bordeaux finish, distinguished by pine bars held by chestnut pegs that consolidate the ends.

These are then equipped with two chestnut hoops, meticulously wrapped in wicker (or osier). When we talk about “handmade” or when highly artisanal craftsmanship takes on a resolutely modern “premium” dimension.