Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/111102
some states. It was introduced to France and England in the 1600s, and is now found throughout Europe, including Hungary, Bulgaria and Croatia. Acacia wood used in wine barrels is sourced from the same French forests as oak. (It is not the tree known as acacia in California. There are more than 800 species worldwide of true acacia; California has native shrub species, with landscape trees brought in from Australia and Africa.) INTEREST GROWS IN U.S. Norm Leighty, a barrel representative for Tonnellerie du Sud Ouest of Bordeaux, through his company Oakasions, began promoting the use of this cooper's acacia barrels for white wines in California to better preserve aromatic and fruit character, while also providing structure. Leighty has since retired, and Espen Jensen is now the Napa-based rep for Tonnellerie du Sud Ouest and for Tonnellerie du Val de Loire, which also produces acacia barrels. "A stylistic trend today for white wines, and even some red wines, is toward dialing back on oak," Jensen explained. "Winemakers want more fruit character and acacia can help with that. Stainless steel will also save fruit character, but you don't get the same structure and mouth- w w w. v w m media.com Seguin Moreau's Fraicheur barrel is a combination of French oak staves and acacia heads. feel. Acacia is a way to get structure without oak." He noted that acacia wood has less tannin than oak, and better preserves freshness, and floral and varietal character. Additional coopers have introduced acacia barrels to the U.S. market, including Tonnellerie Boutes, Dargaud et Jaegle Tonnellerie (supplied by Premier Wine Cask), and Bouchard Cooperages of Napa, which supplies acacia from Tonnellerie Billon and Tonnellerie Vicard. Seguin Moreau produces the Fraicheur (freshness) barrel with acacia heads and French oak staves. The barrel is said to enhance aromatic delicacy in white wines by reducing toasty and woody aromas associated with lactone and ellagic tannins, while enhancing citrus and floral characters, and adding structure and complexity. Fraicheur is suited to chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, semillon, viognier, marsanne and roussanne, with aging on lees M a r - A p r 2 0 13 | V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T 59