Vessels

Jamie, Doug and Emily look at different types of wine “vessels” ranging from stainless tanks to various types of wooden barrels and finally concrete vats and terracotta pots (amphorae, qvevri and so forth). They talk about the art of the cooper and suggest that (used sympathetically) oak barrels can both shape the wine as well as being the conduit to transmit a sense of terroir, whereas clumsy use of wood will obfuscate the true nature of the wine. The gang taste three examples of wines fermented and aged in different vessels. Firstly, a clay-fermented-and aged 2013 Muscat from the De Martino tinajas project in Itata, southern Chile. Then a biodynamic Arbin Mondeuse from Louis Magnin from the 2003 vintage, all in stainless tanks. To finish, to illustrate the effect of oak-ageing, we sample a Torres Mas La Plana 2018 from Penedes. Wines tasted this episode: Muscat Tinajas, De Martino 2013 Itata, Chile Arbin Mondeuse, Louis Magnin 2003 Savoie, France Mas La Plana, Torres 2018 Penedes, Spain