What are oak microstaves?
Microstaves are wood planks of intermediate size between chips and staves, having undergone a roasting process by heating at the heart. These pieces of natural wood are used in oenology to reproduce the effects of maturation in wooden barrels. Efficient alternative for wine making and maturing, they assure you the same aromatic and gustative quality of the wine.
What is the purpose of microstaves for winemaking and maturing?
More economical than wood staves, the microstaves refine the wine by a multitude of aromas just like the barrels. Because of their size, microstaves bring moreOxygen in wine making than small wood chips. Also, microstaves are very easy to use and allow to correct imperfections due to drought or bad weather.
Mini stave in winemaking: which oak to choose?
From French and American oak species Quercus, the microstaves have driedes in the open air for a minimum of 18 months. The fineness of the grain with French oak gives vanilla aromas, and tannic power. And in an Anglo-Saxon style "moonshine"American oak gives more expansive coconut flavors. Quality is at the heart of our wood manufacturing process.
How can the size and dosage of microstaves influence the tannin and woody aroma of wine?
With a larger contact area, the microstaves bring more complexity and finesse than oak chips. While the variation of sizes plays on thewine oxygenationthe variation of the dosage plays an important role in the woody aromatic role.
We recommend integrating the microstaves before, during or after the alcoholic fermentation:
| Low | 2 | 0.1 |
| Good | 6 | 0.3 |
| Marked | 10 | 0.5 |
| New drum 100% | 14 | 0.7 |
Discover the method to use to introduce the wine microstaves in the fermentation
The oak wood microstaves are delivered in 10 kg bags with 2 infusion nets (composition: food grade polyethylene) of 5 Kg. Our recommendations for use in the tanks are :
- Disperse the bags of microstaves at different heights in the tank using synthetic rope for a very good diffusion and a perfect homogenization.
- Precaution: at least one pumping over every 15 days to homogenize the tank.
- Control and maintain free active SO2 ≥ 0.6 mg/L
- Short contact time: 3 months
Our range of toasters available for oak microstaves
Our microstaves are available in a range of profiles from integral core convection heaters :
For the blended wineswe offer a blend microstaves premium 4 months of contact between 3 and 6 g/L for a traditional blend. The aromatic finesse is revealed.