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Vessels 101: Clay
If you’ve ever done a tasting at a winery, chances are someone was telling you about how each bottle was made, and that some spent time in oak, some 100% in stainless steel others maybe in some concrete egg thing. Are these just talking points to fill time or make the person behind the bar sound smart? Nope. It all matters. And below I’m going to explain why with a few of the most common vessels used to ferment and age wine.
Wine can really be fermented and aged in almost anything. But over the years, a few vessels have proved themselves to be most effective because of convenience or what they add to the finished wine. And although these vessels will be discussed separately, in practice winemakers typically blend wine from a few of these vessels to bring certain aspects of each to the finished wine.
The point of this page is to give you an understanding of how each vessel affects wine, so that when presented with this information on a bottle, you will be able to not only understand why they were used, but be able to predict what flavors may be expected in that wine.
So first, let’s take a look at the most common vessels, and how they affect each wine.
Clay
Why is clay used?
Clay vessels, usually called Amphora, are the oldest way to ferment and age wine (about 6,000 years or so). But besides being a cool nod to the past, they are becoming more popular because of how they help the wine making process.
Like concrete, clay plays a role that is in between oak and stainless steel. The main reasons clay is generally used are:
- Imparts no direct flavor
- Slowly lets oxygen into the wine
- Customizable shape and size
- Maintains temperature well
- Shape can facilitate currents to mix wine
How is clay different than the other vessels?
Stainless Steel
Clay does not add any flavors the same way stainless steel does not. But it does let small amounts of oxygen in through tiny pours, and will also maintain temperature better than steel tanks. Plus the shape of clay amphorae allows the wine to circulate without getting caught in corners.
Oak
New oak will impart a lot of flavor to a wine, where clay will not. And although both let oxygen in, clay does so at a much slower and consistent rate since the wood on oak barrels changes over time. Because of this, wine can ferment longer and at a more controlled rate in clay than it can in oak.
Concrete
Both will not impart flavor to the wine, and both allow for some oxygen exposure. The main difference is that the oxygen in concrete comes from the air that is already trapped in the tank, where clay allows oxygen from the outside to be transferred into the wine. Concrete is also going to be stronger and will regulate temperature better.
Conclusion
A winemaker can choose to use 100% clay from start to finish, or more likely, blend it into the finished product. The oxygen transfer is going to be different for clay than it is for oak or concrete, so it maintains the freshness of the fruit flavors, while adding complexity through micro-oxidation to the final wine.
Who uses clay?
Despite the fact that this is actually the oldest method to ferment and age wine, there are more and more new producers using clay vessels to take advantage of their attributes.
Globally, the most common places are going to be Georgia, Portugal, Italy, and Spain but just about every country is going to have some producers using clay.
The size and uses of the vessels are going to vary from country to country, but below are a few of the names other countries use for clay in case you see them on a bottle:
Portugal: Talha
Spain: Tiaja
Italy: Anfora
Georgia: Quervi
Georgia
One of the oldest wine producing countries in the world, today they are probably most associated with using their clay vessels called quervi. These tend to be large, egg-shaped vessels and are even sometimes buried underground to maintain temperature and keep out light. This way, the wine can undergo a longer fermentation process without being disturbed.
Italy
Here, the vessels are shaped like vases that look like the amphora you’re probably used to seeing from ancient Rome and Greece.
Spain
The Spanish use vessels that start to look more like the egg shape to help move the wine during fermentation.
Portugal
In the region of Alentejo, a lot of winemakers take the clay vessel tradition seriously which means it will not only be common to see wine made in these vessels here, but the quality of the process will be high.
Shape and Construction
As mentioned, the shape of these vessels are going to vary from small vase looking containers, to massive egg-shaped tanks. The reason
A great example of how the size of the barrel affects the wine is in the region of Barolo, Italy.
In Barolo, wine is made from the grape Nebbiolo, which is super tannic. Traditionally, wines were stored in giant barrels called botte which allowed the wine to age with much less contact of the wood. Because of this, the barrels did not soften the tannins as much, which meant that Barolo was almost undrinkable in its youth. Bottle aging can also help soften out some of the tannins, which is why you might be told not to open that bottle of Barolo for decades after you buy it.
That’s all well and good if you don’t mind waiting, but new producers wanted you to be able to open their bottles before your retirement party. To do this, they started using smaller barrique barrels like the ones you typically see at wineries today. This higher wine-to-wood contact ratio meant that wines were much more approachable, and could be enjoyed after a much more reasonable 5-7 years of aging.
There is still a battle raging in Barolo between traditional and modern producers, so my recommendation is to go out and see what you like best as soon as possible.
Conclusion
The use of oak in wine should always be able to blend in with the natural aspects of that wine. If it’s added simply for flavor, its essentially a cocktail. A great quote from Master Sommelier Brian McClintic goes something like “Oak in your wine should be like salt in your food. You should not be able to taste it, but understand how it enhances the experience.”
Click below to explore other vessels.