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Oak maturation of Pinot noir
by Charl Theron
Winemakers agree, with good reason, that Pinot noir is one of the most difficult cultivars to vinify. The grape quality is influenced by various factors and vinification processes also have to be managed meticulously. Excellent Pinot noir wines are encountered in limited quantities in specific regions such as Burgundy, Marlborough and Oregon and locally in Elgin and Hermanus.
The style of Pinot noir wines is influenced by various factors:

The age of the vineyard. Young vines tend to produce more simplistic wines with a more prominent berry flavour, while older vines produce more complex wines. What this means is that younger vines allow the cultivar character to be more prominent, while older vines impart greater expression of origin.
The latitude. Rather than temperature, the decisive factor is the number of daylight hours to which the vines are exposed. Pinot noir fares better with fewer daylight hours.
The soil. People generally believe the soil to be more important than the latitude. Good Pinot noir wines can derive from calcium-rich and acid soils.
The terroir. Grapes from a combination of different soil types and microclimates taste different, which will also find expression in the wines if sound vinification practices are implemented.

As a result of the above factors various styles of Pinot noir are encountered and it follows that different oak maturation practices should be implemented. The different styles may be divided into four groups, namely traditional, tannic, fruity and young nouveau style. Examples hail from Burgundy/Oregon/New Zealand, international winelands, Carneros/Santa Barbara and Beaujolais respectively.
Traditionally made Pinot noir wines have a prominent mouth-feel and are usually matured in barrels for 18 to 24 months, although this may be extended to 36 months. Barrels are kept till at least third fill and consequently for six years. The percentage of new barrels used annually may range from 10 to 30%.
Tannic Pinot noir wines are made to maximise the phenolic quality of the final wines. The percentage of new barrels is therefore higher and may even be exclusively new. Higher toasting levels are also used, but the maturation period is usually shorter.
Fruity wines are usually not matured beyond nine months and are usually sold as soon as possible after the completion of malolactic fermentation.
Beaujolais Nouveau wines are the best example of the nouveau style and although they are usually made from Gamay, nouveau wines can also be made in the same style from Pinot noir. There is usually no oak maturation and except for the traditional carbon dioxide maceration method, wines may be fermented at lower temperatures without allowing for malolactic fermentation.
In addition to the different oak maturation practices that are used in the various wine styles, the oak characteristics also play an important role. The origin and oak species are usually French, most often Quercus robur or Quercus petraea. These species are also known by other synonyms. Non-French oak species, being too dominant, are usually not preferred for Pinot noir. The vanillin character in oak usually being the most potent after 12 to 18 months of natural leaching, i.e. before the construction of barrels, winemakers should thus take this into account when deciding on the specifications for their barrels. High toasting levels in the barrels may also reduce the vanillin character of the barrels and medium plus toasted barrels are usually recommended for Pinot noir. Traditionally Burgundy and Bordeaux barrels are both 225 litres, but due to the shape of the barrel the surface/volume ratio of the Bordeaux barrel is slightly bigger. Although most Pinot noir wines are matured in Burgundy barrels, the barrel type should not make a substantial difference. The use of Central and Eastern European oak and alternative oak products should feature in experiments. (The article lists oak suppliers for Pinot noir.)
To summarise, winemakers would do well to take note of the following before selecting specific barrels:

Experiments with different barrels or products should not be done with a few barrels only.
The differences between coopers are usually bigger than the differences between forests.
Different Pinot noir vineyards may benefit from different barrels, even if the vines are in the same region.

Reference
Philips, Curtis. 2008. Product Review: Choosing Barrels for Pinot Noir. Wine Business Monthly, 15 December 2008: 60 - 68.

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