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The Cooperages
The MAX V Release

Although production is limited, the 2005 MAX V is now
available to all wine
enthusiasts and advocates of small batch winemaking.
Please register your interest
by contacting info@rocwines.com.au
or visit our ORDERING PAGE
for further details.


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Vinification Integrale

BARREL FERMENTATION

AN AUSTRALIAN FIRST
The Robertson of Clare Wines MAX V has become the first wine in Australia to use the Vinification Integrale system. Developed by Tonnellerie Baron this unique system allows crushed grapes to be inserted into the oak wine barrel for maceration and primary fermentation, along with the more common red winemaking barrel practices of malolactic fermentation and maturation.

Maceration and primary fermentation in the barrel have played a role in winemaking history before now, but it has mostly been achieved by taking out the head of the wine barrel and standing the barrel on one end. As a trained cooper needs to remove and replace the head, it is an expensive exercise and left to very small batches, often not available in commercial quantities.

Vinification Integrale uses a patented porthole access door in the head of the barrel to allow easy access. Additional attachments ensure high quality winemaking procedures by aiding the winemaker in control over flavour, colour and tannin extraction rates.

The Vinification Integrale system will assist in ensuring that Robertson of Clare Wines deliver a hand crafted wine of great depth and complexity – MAX V.

The benefits of Tonnellerie Baron's Vinification Integrale are:

•  Earlier integration of oak aromatic components, affecting the balance between fruit derived and oak derived characters
•  The oak characters combine with the fruit characters to produce more complex components, adding a new dimension and interest to the wine
•  During maceration the structural tannins are extracted and immediately begin the process of melding together to form a more seamless wine
•  The slow oxidation that is present in the wine barrel allows colour stability to be enhanced at an earlier time

This all combines to produce a more complex, more integrated, colour enriched wine, with a structure that is more flawless than with the traditional fermentation methods.

Used by the vineyards of Bordeaux and beyond:
France (Bordeaux): Smith - Haut Lafite, Quinault, Chateau La Ponte, Clos l'Eglise, Labegorce
United States (Napa Valley & Oregon): Opus One, Solena Winery
Australia (Clare Valley): Robertson of Clare Wines

Visit the Vinification Integrale section on the Tonnellerie Baron website: www.tonnelleriebaron.com/en/vini_pres.php