These specimens are transferred to cooperages that must have a drying park where the wood extracted from the tree fulfills a tanning process and the aromas increase. This process must last for at least 28 long months to achieve the organoleptic objectives set by the winery.
Pioneers in the treatment of oak
Alejandro Simo’s experience in the sector of cooperage, first in the area of production of Radoux-Victoria and later as the co-founder of “Tonelería Quercus”, allows us to pioneer an advanced and controlled system in the management of our barrel room.
At Bodegas Luis Alegre, we are involved in the the process from the absolute beginning and birth of the barrel. We travel to France, always to the forests of Bertranges (Nevers) and the Vosges. We then select the specimens based on how their characteristics fit our specifications (forest of origin, minimum age of 180 years or so that there is a perfect aromatic generation and there is not any alteration of the wood caused by fungi, knots, etc).
In this period of time, the selected woods are analysed (as in the case of the grapes during their final period of maturation in the vineyard) to determine the ideal moment to construct the barrel, taking into account the style of wine we are going to age.