Oak is almost always used for barrels when you store wine in “wood”. But we see more and more often when we visit the wine cellars on our wine tours a few barrels made of a different type of wood. It is often experiments on a small scale for the winemaker to learn more about how the wine reacts.
Rarely do we as consumers have an opportunity to experience it. But last winter, Domaine Christophe Pichon in Condrieu in the Rhône valley launched three wines aged in different barrels: acacia, chestnut and oak.
It is the young son at the domaine, Corentin, who is making experiments. We had the opportunity to taste the wines and there is certainly a difference. The traditional oak gave a rounder and slightly fuller impression with good acidity. The acacia cask gave a wine with more floral character and more freshness. The chestnut gave more herbal notes with an elegant and softer style.
The labels are actually made of the wood used in the barrel too, a thin sheet of wood.
The wines are sold only in a pack of three with one bottle of each (50 cl) at the estate for 128 euros. But condrieu is a rare wines and is never cheap and this is a unique experience. From a small vineyard with viognier on half a hectare.
Read more: Domaine-Pichon
