Cherries barrelling

The decanted juice is fermented in traditional wooden barrels, known as "caratelli," which holding between 50 and 200 L. Many winemakers consider these small barrels a factor in wine quality. These might be new, or more frequently, they will be used barrels (also 20 or more years old) that are often from previous productions of Vin Santo. Today, used barriques (capacity, 225 L) are also used. The woods used are chestnut, cherry, and oak, in particular. The current opinion suggests the sensory characteristics brought to the wine, nontoasted oak is the best wood also for Vin Santo production. Moreover, because the fermentation often takes place in closed vessels, barrels of traditional thickness (3 cm or more) help to avoid the risk of rupture during fermentation. 

De Rosso, M., Panighel, A., Dalla Vedova, A., Stella, L., and Flamini, R. (2009). Changes in Chemical Composition of a Red Wine Aged in Acacia, Cherry, Chestnut, Mulberry and Oak Wood Barrels. J. Agric. Food Chem., 57(5), 1915-1920. 

TABLE 7.5. Volatile Benzene Compounds Identified in 50%-Ethanol Solution Wood Extracts of Oak, Acacia, Chestnut, Cherry, and Mulberry Used for Making Barrels... 

X. Sulfur Dioxide in Brining of Cherries and Barrelling of Fruit.. 143... 

Marquette is capable of making high-quahty wines with more depth and complexity than typically found in interspecific hybrids. Aromas frequently include cherry, cassis, and black pepper. The color is usually dark but not inky. Marquette fruit ripens early and usually comes in with a high Brix and an acidity that is high, relative to most V. vinifera cultivars but moderate compared to other V. riparia-based cultivars, such as Frontenac. As a result, Marquette is considered relatively easy to work with by local winemakers. The best Marquette wines have been bone dry and aged in oak barrels for upwards of a year before bottling. 

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