Patent Application
20200190451
The present disclosure relates generally to toasted wine barrels, staves, and systems for use in wine production. In particular, the present disclosure provides a multi-level toasted stave or barrel system configured to release at least two flavor profiles extractable to the wine.
The demand for more complex flavor profiles derived from wood barrels for wine production is ever increasing. Wine barrels are toasted to impart flavor profiles to the wine during aging. Uniformity in toasting of barrels has been previously desired by wine producers in order to ensure consistency of product.
These and other needs are addressed by the various aspects and configurations of the present disclosure.
Various aspects of the present disclosure include a toasted barrel for aging wine, the toasted barrel comprising a plurality of staves oriented parallel to a longitudinal axis, the plurality of staves forming a barrel body having a wine contact surface, the barrel body having at least a first crosswise portion and a second crosswise portion, wherein the wine contact surface of the first crosswise portion is characterized by a first structural toast level and the wine contact surface of the second crosswise portion is characterized by a second structural toast level, the first structural toast level configured to release a first flavor profile extractable to the wine and the second structural toast level configured to release a second flavor profile extractable to the wine.
The toasted barrel for aging wine described herein above, further comprising a third crosswise portion, wherein the wine contact surface of the third crosswise portion is characterized by a third structural toast level, the third structural toast level configured to release a third flavor profile extractable to the wine.
The toasted barrel(s) for aging wine described herein above, further comprising a fourth crosswise portion, wherein the wine contact surface of the fourth crosswise portion is characterized by a fourth structural toast level, the fourth structural toast level configured to release a fourth flavor profile extractable to the wine.
The toasted barrel(s) for aging wine described herein above, further comprising a fifth crosswise portion, wherein the wine contact surface of the fifth crosswise portion is characterized by a fifth structural toast level, the fifth structural toast level configured to release a fifth flavor profile extractable to the wine.
The toasted barrel(s) for aging wine described herein above, wherein the structural toast level increases along the barrel body in a first direction from the first crosswise portion to the second crosswise portion.
The toasted barrel(s) for aging wine described herein above, further comprising a first heading inner surface and a second heading inner surface each characterized by at least the first structural toast level.
The toasted barrel(s) for aging wine described herein above, wherein the staves are made of oak.
The toasted barrel(s) for aging wine described herein above, wherein oxygen is retained within the oak.
The toasted barrel(s) for aging wine described herein above, wherein the oxygen content retained within the second crosswise portion is higher than the oxygen content retained within the first crosswise portion.
The toasted barrel(s) for aging wine described herein above, wherein the tannin content retained within the second crosswise portion is less than the tannin content retained within the first crosswise portion.
The toasted barrel(s) for aging wine described herein above, wherein the first flavor profile includes at least one flavor characteristic chosen from earthy wood characters, complex baked aromas, mild vanilla component, and combinations thereof; the second flavor profile includes at least one flavor characteristic chosen from toasty aromas of vanillin, coffee and freshly baked bread; round, sweet oak flavors and notes of spice, butterscotch, vanilla, caramel and chocolate; and combinations thereof; the third flavor profile includes at least one flavor characteristic chosen from hazelnut, spice, minerality, mild oak, and combinations thereof; the fourth flavor profile includes at least one flavor characteristic chosen from vanilla bean, hazelnut, spice, chocolate mocha, oak lactone, brown sugar, and combinations thereof; and, the fifth flavor profile includes at least one flavor characteristic chosen from touch of black pepper, mild oak lactones, espresso note, and combinations thereof.
Various aspects of the present disclosure include a toasted stave for use in a barrel for aging wine, the toasted stave comprising an elongated body portion having: a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, an inner surface, and an outer surface; wherein the inner surface includes a gradient in a first direction from the first end to the second end, wherein the gradient is an increase in the level of toasting.
The toasted stave(s) for use in a barrel for aging wine described herein above, further comprising the gradient having at least two different levels of toasting including a first level of toasting, and a second level of toasting, the second level of toasting greater than the first level of toasting.
The toasted stave for use in a barrel for aging wine described herein above, further comprising a third level of toasting, the third level of toasting greater than the second level of toasting.
The toasted stave(s) for use in a barrel for aging wine described herein above, further comprising a fourth level of toasting, the fourth level of toasting greater than the third level of toasting.
The toasted stave(s) for use in a barrel for aging wine described herein above, further comprising a fifth level of toasting, the fifth level of toasting greater than the fourth level of toasting.
The toasted stave(s) for use in a barrel for aging wine described herein above, wherein the gradient from the first end to the second end is continuous.
The toasted stave(s) for use in a barrel for aging wine described herein above, wherein the gradient from the first end to the second end is discontinuous.
The toasted stave(s) for use in a barrel for aging wine described herein above, wherein the first level of toasting is untoasted.
The toasted stave(s) for use in a barrel for aging wine described herein above, wherein the stave is made of oak, and wherein oxygen is retained within the oak, wherein the inner surface further comprises an oxygen content gradient in a first direction from the first end to the second end, wherein the oxygen content gradient is an increase in the oxygen content retained within the oak.
The toasted stave(s) for use in a barrel for aging wine described herein above, wherein the inner surface further comprises a color gradient in a first direction from the first end to the second end, wherein the color gradient is an increase in the darkness of the color.
These and other advantages will be apparent from the disclosure of the aspects and configurations contained herein.
As used herein, “at least one”, “one or more”, and “and/or” are open-ended expressions that are both conjunctive and disjunctive in operation. For example, each of the expressions “at least one of A, B and C”, “at least one of A, B, or C”, “one or more of A, B, and C”, “one or more of A, B, or C” and “A, B, and/or C” means A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, or A, B and C together. When each one of A, B, and C in the above expressions refers to an element, such as X, Y, and Z, or class of elements, such as X1—Xn, Y1—Ym, and Z1-Zo, the phrase is intended to refer to a single element selected from X, Y, and Z, a combination of elements selected from the same class (for example, X1 and X2) as well as a combination of elements selected from two or more classes (for example, Y1 and Zo).
It is to be noted that the term “a” or “an” entity refers to one or more of that entity. As such, the terms “a” (or “an”), “one or more” and “at least one” can be used interchangeably herein. It is also to be noted that the terms “comprising”, “including”, and “having” can be used interchangeably.
It should be understood that every maximum numerical limitation given throughout the present disclosure is deemed to include each and every lower numerical limitation as an alternative, as if such lower numerical limitations were expressly written herein. Every minimum numerical limitation given throughout the present disclosure is deemed to include each and every higher numerical limitation as an alternative, as if such higher numerical limitations were expressly written herein. Every numerical range given throughout the present disclosure is deemed to include each and every narrower numerical range that falls within such broader numerical range, as if such narrower numerical ranges were all expressly written herein.
The preceding is a simplified summary of the disclosure to provide an understanding of some aspects of the disclosure. This summary is neither an extensive nor exhaustive overview of the disclosure and its various aspects and configurations. It is intended neither to identify key or critical elements of the disclosure nor to delineate the scope of the disclosure but to present selected concepts of the disclosure in a simplified form as an introduction to the more detailed description presented below. As will be appreciated, other aspects and configurations of the disclosure are possible utilizing, alone or in combination, one or more of the features set forth above or described in detail below.
The accompanying drawings are incorporated into and form a part of the specification to illustrate several examples of the present disclosure. These drawings, together with the description, explain the principles of the disclosure. The drawings simply illustrate preferred and alternative examples of how the disclosure can be made and used and are not to be construed as limiting the disclosure to only the illustrated and described examples. Further features and advantages will become apparent from the following, more detailed, description of the various aspects and configurations of the disclosure, as illustrated by the drawings referenced below.
The present disclosure relates generally to toasted wine barrels, staves, and systems for use in wine production. In particular, the present disclosure provides a multi-level toasted stave or barrel system configured to release at least two flavor profiles extractable to the wine. The present disclosure addresses the need for delivering multiple, complex flavor profiles derived from a single wood barrel for wine production by providing a multi-level toasted wine barrel, and obviates the need for moving wine between barrels during aging in attempt to achieve such an effect.
Various aspects of the present disclosure include multi-level toasted wine barrel 100 comprising a plurality of staves 110 forming a body portion inner circumferential surface that is the wine contact surface.
As illustrated in
As shown in
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In certain instances, the structural toast level increases along the barrel body in a first direction D1 parallel to the longitudinal axis A as shown in
The different structural toast levels of the different crosswise portions impart different flavor profiles extractable to the wine. For a first structural toast level of a first crosswise portion, the first flavor profile may include at least one flavor characteristic chosen from earthy wood characters, complex baked aromas, mild vanilla component, and combinations thereof. For a second structural toast level of a second crosswise portion, the second flavor profile may include at least one flavor characteristic chosen from toasty aromas of vanillin, coffee and freshly baked bread; round, sweet oak flavors and notes of spice, butterscotch, vanilla, caramel and chocolate; and combinations thereof. For a third structural toast level of a third crosswise portion, the third flavor profile includes at least one flavor characteristic chosen from hazelnut, spice, minerality, mild oak, and combinations thereof. For a fourth structural toast level of a fourth crosswise portion, the fourth flavor profile includes at least one flavor characteristic chosen from vanilla bean, hazelnut, spice, chocolate mocha, oak lactone, brown sugar, and combinations thereof. For a fifth structural toast level of a fifth crosswise portion, the fifth flavor profile includes at least one flavor characteristic chosen from touch of black pepper, mild oak lactones, espresso note, and combinations thereof. These flavor profile characteristics are intended as non-limiting examples.
In certain instances, headings including inner surfaces perpendicular to longitudinal axis A also contribute to the wine contact surface. The barrel body, as formed by the staves 110 adjacently aligned as described above, contribute about 70% of the wine contact surface while the two headings together contribute the rest, or about 30%, of the wine contact surface. As shown in
In certain instances according to the present disclosure, the staves are made of oak. Upon toasting the multi-level toasted barrel or stave according to the present disclosure, to at least two of the structural toast levels as described above, provides variable oxygen retention and transmission within the wood and, therefore, to the wine contact surface to influence the subsequent flavor profiles imparted to the wine. In certain instances, the oxygen content is more highly retained within the crosswise portion of higher structural toast level than the oxygen content as retained within crosswise portion of lesser structural toast level.
The physical and chemical changes to the wood during toasting contribute to the oxygen content as retained within the wood. For the purposes of the disclosure herein, sequentially from the first crosswise portion to the second crosswise portion to the third crosswise portion to the fourth crosswise portion to the fifth crosswise portion indicates increasing structural toast level, and so on, the oxygen content retention of the wood is increased and available for transmission for extracting flavor profiles to the wine. By specially selecting the staves for their ability to retain oxygen at each distinct toast level the retained oxygen levels of the staves are maximized. This precise process stems from analysis of multiple botanical species of oak (e.g., Quercus Petraea, Quercus Robur, Quercus Alba) from over 50 different distinct geographical regions for retained oxygen after toasting. By applying less and more toast the oxygen levels in an oak stave can be controlled, thereby controlling underlying chemical and physical attributes. The staves will then impact and integrate their flavors into wine faster given that more oxygen is released into the wine. Generally, oxygen causes oxidation of phenolic and volatile compounds and an adequate dose improves the organoleptic characteristics of the wine. In a standard wine barrel, oxygen passes into the wine at a rate near 1 ml/L per month. Mechanical oxygen devices are sometimes applied to increase the rate of oxygen addition into wine to as high 10 ml/L per month or more. Mechanized oxygen additions are inherently limited as to flow rate as they can only add oxygen at a single predetermined set rate. Whereas, having five distinct crosswise portions of a barrel having five distinct toast levels on specific botanical origins of oak provides oxygen impact simultaneously at five levels. That enhances the scope, breadth, and complexity of oxygen dependent polymerization reactions in a wine, notably reducing undesired reductive wine flavors, such as vegetal flavors, while advantageously stabilizing wine colors.
In wine, tannin is a textural element that makes wine taste dry and astringent. Tannin is a naturally occurring polyphenol found in plants, seeds, bark, wood, leaves, and fruit skins. Tannin levels of the multi-level toast barrels or stave according to the present disclosure may be tailored to the preference of the winemaker. For the purposes of the disclosure herein, sequentially from the first crosswise portion to the second crosswise portion to the third crosswise portion to the fourth crosswise portion to the fifth crosswise portion indicates increasing structural toast level, and so on, the tannin content of the wood is decreased for extracting mitigated tannin flavor profiles to the wine.
Cis- (and trans-) oak lactone are flavor compound(s) in wine that impart a variety of sensory characteristics and are responsible for the greater intensity of vanilla and coconut-like aromas found in wines matured in different types of oak. These lactones are present in the raw material and may vary substantially among different wood samples. The oak lactone amounts present in oak can be affected by seasoning but not in a predictable way. The presence of these compounds in oak is not greatly affected by coopering variation but, in some samples, increasing toasting levels can slow down the rate of lactone extraction and reduce their impact on wine flavor. For the purposes of the disclosure herein, and sequentially from the first crosswise portion to the second crosswise portion to the third crosswise portion to the fourth crosswise portion to the fifth crosswise portion indicates increasing structural toast level, and so on, the oak lactone content of the wood is decreased for extracting mitigated, or eliminating altogether, flavor profiles to the wine.
As illustrated in
In certain instances, the stave 610 is made of oak, wherein oxygen is retained within the oak. The inner surface 640 of stave 650 further comprises an oxygen content gradient in a first direction D1 from the first end 604 to the second end 606, wherein the oxygen content gradient is an increase in the oxygen content retained within the oak. The inner surface further comprises a color gradient in a first direction D1 from the first end 604 to the second end 606, wherein the color gradient is an increase in the darkness of the color.
Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplary embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, while the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this disclosure also includes embodiments having different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of the described features. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the scope of the claims, together with all equivalents thereof.
Moreover, though the description of the disclosure has included description of one or more aspects, embodiments, or configurations and certain variations and modifications, other variations, combinations, and modifications are within the scope of the disclosure, for example, as may be within the skill and knowledge of those in the art, after understanding the present disclosure. It is intended to obtain rights which include alternative aspects and configurations to the extent permitted, including alternate, interchangeable and/or equivalent structures, functions, ranges or steps to those claimed, whether or not such alternate, interchangeable and/or equivalent structures, functions, ranges or steps are disclosed herein, and without intending to publicly dedicate any patentable subject matter.
