SEGUIN MOREAU’s wood buyers look for the straightest oak trees possible, which provide straight wood grain with as few flaws as possible.
The use of French Haute Futaie, or superior growth, wood from 150- to 200-year-old forests ensures dense, tightly packed grain and fine tannins. The French government’s tight control over the forests—cutting down imperfect young trees, clearing undergrowth that competes for nutrients and ensuring trees are spaced properly—helps to contribute to slow growth of trees with regular and fine grain.
When one looks at a log, the size of the grain can be determined by the growth rings each year. The size in rings per inch will put the oak in categories of medium grain, semi-tight grain, tight grain, and very tight grain.
Tighter-grained oak will release its wood compounds and tannins more slowly than semi-tight grain and medium-grained oak. As the grain gets tighter, the rate of evaporation slows down, as does the exchange between the wine and the outside air.
SEGUIN MOREAU categorizes most of our barrels according to grain and its tightness. For American oak, we look for the tightest grain possible. The ICÔNE barrel, while customarily tight grain, is selected based on its chemical composition of wood soluble compounds.
|
Barrel |
Type |
Grain and Suitability |
|
Sélection FX |
Bordeaux Export (27 mm) Bordeaux Château Ferré (21 mm) Bordeaux Château Façon Transport (21 mm) |
Very tight grain—oak is aged for an extended period of 30-36 months prior to coopering, giving the finished wine an exclusive creaminess and rounded mouthfeel, as the sweet flavors linger longer. |
| Sélection Vendanges Tardives (SVT) | Bordeaux Château Ferré (21 mm) | For aging 18 months or longer in barrel. Oak profile is ultra-tight grain, with very sweet characters and elegant, gentle tannins. |
| Sélection Cabernet (SC) |
Bordeaux Export (27 mm) Bordeaux Château Ferré (21 mm) Bordeaux Château Façon Transport (21 mm) |
Ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon and red Bordeaux varietal blends. Oak profile is very tight grain, with rich, complex wood tannins that allow for expression of fruit over long periods of aging. |
| Sélection Rouge (SR) |
Bordeaux Export (27 mm) Bordeaux Château Ferré (21 mm) Bordeaux Château Façon Transport (21 mm) |
Bordeaux barrel for all red wines aged 15-18 months in barrel. Oak profile is semi-tight grain, offering clove, spice, vanilla aromas, as well as added supportive structure. |
| Sélection Terroir (ST) |
Bordeaux Export (27 mm) Bordeaux Château Ferré (21 mm) Bordeaux Château Façon Transport (21 mm) |
Recommended for wines that will express the character of the fruit and region where produced. Designed for wines to be aged 10-15 months. Oak impact is respectful to the fruit, and adds structure and depth to the wine. |
| Bourgogne Grand Cru (BGC) |
Burgundy Export | Designed for ultra-premium white or red wines that may be aged up to 18 months in barrel. Oak profile is very tight grain, for integration of oak over a longer period of time and complexity with layers of aroma and flavor. |
| Chagny Pinot (CP) |
Burgundy Export | Premium tight grain with sweet tannins and a slow release of oak. |
| Grand Domaine (GD) |
Burgundy Export | Semi-tight grain that allow for faster oak expression for lines that do not require long barrel aging. |
| Chagny White (CW) |
Burgundy Export | Medium grain allows contributions to richness of taste and concentration without dominating on fruity expression. |
