Ambitious stave 18
For this latest newsletter, we’ve chosen to focus on stave 18mm, the spearhead of the Saveurs range of oak for oenology. Stave 18 is the stave available on the market with the extraction kinetics most similar to those of a complex barrel ageing profile, both in terms of toasting and structure. With its top-of-the-range profile, it comes from quality staves and is designed for complex wines and long maturation periods of up to 18 months. It is particularly well-suited to premium wines.
Blend toasting:
It’s important to note the distinctive toast assembly on the 18mm stave (considered thicker than 16mm), which echoes the expectations of today’s consumer. Saury’s discreet, elegant contribution to the wine’s nuance and subtlety. A chameleon which adapts to concentrated matrices or, on the other hand, those with a more vertical profile. Tried and tested on a wide range of grape varieties, Stave 18 ensures a reproducible style for your wines.
From an analytical point of view, furanic compounds in 18mm staves are found in much higher concentrations than in chips. The production of phenol aldehydes (vanillin family) is favored by the thermal inertia of large wood pieces during toasting.
Finally, lactone content in wine-positive concentrations is achieved if wood is sourced from high quality selections such as we make for Saury barrels.
This makes 18mm staves ideal for :
- Reinforce maturity while preserving freshness, with a clean, flawless expression;
- Increase complexity by reducing woody notes masking the fruit;
- Clearly improve taste sensations (volume, fullness, without aggressiveness on the finish)
Extractability:
Slow extraction kinetics (we recommend a minimum of 6 to 8 months of contact) are an important factor to avoid excessive vegetal and woody sensations and find an elegant balance with wines.
The fact of being able to add sufficient doses (5g/L or more) without reaching quantities equivalent to a new barrel means that it can be finely dosed and clearly improves mouthfeel.
Oxygen impact :
The Stave 18 is also an ideal tool for widespread oxygenation of wines with reduction peaks requiring a little suppleness, or for tannins that have not fully polymerized.
It contributes far more oxygen to wines than any other type of oak used in winemaking.
As such, it is advisable to monitor any drop in free SO2 every 15 days during the first two months of ageing.
At Saveurs, stave 18 benefits from our stave selection process. It’s a modern, efficient tool, the result of our cooperage know-how and the expertise of our in-house laboratory (Laboratoire Exact), ensuring exceptional quality for ambitious wines.
Nathalie Mairesse
An oenologist with almost 20 years’ experience in the wine industry, Nathalie Mairesse’s recent arrival at Tonnellerie Saury, where she is in charge of developing the Saveurs brand, underlines the special efforts she has made to characterize the range and promote it worldwide.
© Christophe Deschanel
