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| Barrel-ageing control. |
Wine ageing is a quite recent activity because it dates back to the last years of the XVIII Century. The barrel-ageing system was known as a result of observing the improvements in wines when they were introduced in different wood barrels to be transported.
Not all the wines are good for the ageing; it depends on the whole productive process: vineyard selection, pruning, lands and making take part in the final success. In fact, the climatology, the face of the slopes where the vineyard settles and the composition of the land provide the wines a higher quality.
The length of the oak barrel ageing depends on the evolution of wine. The ageing causes modifications to the colour of wine (from the purple of young wines to the cherry-red/brick-red), the aroma (bouquet) and flavour (softness, frankness, balance and roundness). After the barrel-ageing, wines are subjected to a second ageing in the same bottles that will get the consumers. It is pursued the dormancy and roundness of the wine as well as to show its complexity.
In Bodegas Ochoa we believe that red wine and barrel form a perfect duet. That’s why most of our wine production goes into barrels with the aim of being “oak” wines (less than 6 months in barrel), Crianza (more than 9 months), Reserva (more than 12 months) or Gran Reserva (more than 18 months).
After a long research, we have come to the conclusion that our Tempranillo ages better in American oak-barrel but Merlot and Cabernet-Sauvignon prefer the French oak-barrel. Therefore, our barrel stock consists of 70% of American barrel and 30 % of French barrel. This percentage may vary depending on the years and the pursuing aims.
We are also experimenting with oak coming from the East, Romania and Hungary, achieving great results.
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