AB Selection
Since 2010, Artisan Barrels has partnered with reputable coopers to develop our own line of French, Hungarian, European, and American Oak barrels. Using our decades of experience in the wine industry, we worked closely with our artisanal coopers to tailor a selection of oak barrels in a range of volumes from 225L to 500L, suitable for a large range of winemaking styles. We offer these premium barrels under the brand of AB Selection.
French Oak
The Artisan Barrels Selection Steam and Fire bent ranges are made from French oak certified staves by reputable coopers located in the Centre of France and Bordeaux regions. Artisan Barrels & Tanks has chartered carefully selected groups of cooperages and stavemills to source verified French oak staves from Single or Blended Forests (Jupilles, Tronçais, Allier, Vosges) and to build and toast to our specifications fine Bordeaux Style Barrels (225L) and Puncheons (265L,500L). French forest origin is guaranteed, and staves are traced from sustainable managed forests.
Hungarian Oak
Artisan Barrels Selection Hungarian barrels are made in Hungary by our trusted cooper who selects premium quality oak staves from the Zemplén mountains forests of Tokaj in the North East of Hungary. All wood is hand split, tight grain and air-dried this year either 24 months or 36 months. Our Hungarian oak clients can choose either our Classic intensive toasting regimen (meaty, spicy, and firmer structure) or our extended Finesse toast level (round, fruit driven, and subtle tannins). We are also offering French oak (Centre-France blend) for hybrid French / Hungarian oak barrels, (65% French / 35 % Hungarian)
American Oak
Artisan Barrels Selection American oak barrels are built and toasted in California to our specifications, using a blend of Northern Oak (Pennsylvania, Indiana) ideally suited for wine ageing and air-dried for 24 or 36 months. A hybrid barrel with French oak heads is also available. For our proprietary line of American oak barrels we've selected a thorough steam-bending process in order to accentuate a gentle texture and sophisticated expression of American oak.
