Tonnellerie Vicard

 

Tonnellerie Vicard is a family run business with a passion for innovation and producing quality French and European oak products.

Vicard offer unique products including barrels, tanks and casks which meet all the requirements of the winemaker.  Vicard are also a leader in developing new technologies and their latest research work into identifying tannin potential in wood  is unparalleled in the industry.  With the Vicard Generation 7 barrel option you can now select barrels made up with stave with quantifiable ellagic tannin levels which when coupled with Vicard’s unique PLC controlled toasting system gives winemakers the  ability to select barrels target specific components such as lactones, furfural vanillan etc which they may want to enhance to meet specific criteria.  Please click on the link to see a brief presentation on the Vicard facility and new technology   Vicard G7 Presentation

These tannin potential barrels are categorised in three groups”

Tannin Potential Selection

Low: – Originie
Med: – Tradition
High: –  Energie

Wood Selection

Traditional wood grain selection is still available and the main wood selections are:

Prestige; – extra tight grain
Distinction; – tight grain
Classique; – medium tight grain
Selection: – mixed grain selection

Toasting Method

Vicard has introduced a patented toasting system using a double coned brazier matching the shape of the barrel which diffuses heat by radiating heat homogeniously around the wood.  Temperature can be controlled throughout the toasting process to within +/- 2 degrees which means much greater consistency.  Using this method means;-

• Barrels can be heated at a higher temperature ensuring a 30% deeper penetration of toasting

• Undesirable burnt aromas (Giacol) are removed

• Staves have improved retification properties, which means they retain their shape better without being prone to splitting

• Soot particles are channelled preventing any possibility of burns appearing on the inside of the barrels

• Elimination of certain tannins which can lead to green wood characters that can be evident if toasting temperatures are not high enough

Toasting Options

Vicard offer four  main toasting options:

• Standard – during the standard process barrels are steamed for three minutes to increase the moisture content so they can be bent more easily witout splitting
• V12 barrel treatment system.  This system involves leaving the barrels in a steam vapourisation chamber for a total of 12 minutes.  During this period undesireable polyphenols, lactones and some of the more aggressive tannins are leached from the wood resulting in a much softer rounded wood profile that is very similar to that of traditional water bending.  However, the V12 treatment gives a much greater wood contribution after the second and third fill than traditional water bending, giving you better value for money
• E3  which involves rinsing the barrels three times to produce a very soft barrel
• Gradual Toast – this process involes toasting at a broad range of temperatures starting in the range between 140 and 190 degrees celsius.  After 20 minute intervals the temperature in increased in 10 degree increments until the final temperature is 40 degrees higher than the starting temperature.  This process gives a more complex aromatic toasting profile as different tannins are toasted at different temperature levels.

Scarification

To aid with the deeper toasting system, Vicard also introduced the stave Scarification Process.

The scarification process involves the mechanical incision of small shallow incisions along the staves at regular intervals to enable the release of air and gasses.

The result:

• Anti blistering and cracking

• No microbiological growth possible

• Green and undesirable characteristics are removed through the ability to toast at higher temperatures

View Vicard’s latest video here

Please contact us for further information or a current barrel stocklist on +64 9 570 5900