The stave wood used for the barrels manufacture of Saury Cooperage is selected according to strict specifications, including traceability, quality and grain fineness.
The grain fineness of oak stavewood for cooperage is calculated from the interval between the growth rings, also called growth rings, or their number / cm.
One interval corresponds to one year of growth of the woody tissue, more active in spring than in autumn and winter. The slower the growth of a tree, the smaller the interval between rings, and the finer the grain.
The rate of tree growth depends on several criteria:
– Oak species
– Silviculture
– Terroir, soil
– Exposure to the sun
– Bad weather
– Tree as an individual
Historically, the oak wood most appreciated for cooperage is the one with the finest grain (Polgue and Keller, 1973; Feuillat et al., 1992).
Indeed, the thickness of grain has a great influence on substances that oak wood will diffuse in wine during barrel ageing (Vivas, 1995, 2002). When grain size increases, the release of dry extract and ellagitannins also increases. In contrast, the release of eugenol (clove) and β-methyl-γ-octolactone (coconut) increases as grain size decreases (Vivas, 1995). Particle size also exerts an effect on rate of oxygen transfer: more oxygen penetrates when grain is finer (Del Alamo-Sanza and Nevares, 2014, 2017).
Selected for their high quality, three types of staves are chosen and give the different ranges today proposed by Saury Cooperage :
– Premium range from extra-fine staves
– Classic range from very fine grain staves
– Aromatic range from fine-grained staves
Grains and ranges specifically developed to meet criteria and requirements of all Saury Cooperage customers.
