Barbare is committed to the philosophy that “winemaking begins at the vineyard” and has a low-yield strategy and the average yield at Barbare’s vineyards is 350-400 kg annually. Not only are the grapevines watered unless absolutely necessary, the grapevines are carefully monitored to ensure homogenous maturity and yield capacity. As a result, Barbare is able to produce superb wines with vibrant and distinct hues, complex aromas and soft tannins.
Grapes harvested at Barbare Vineyards are immediately transported to the entrance of the winery which is located on site. As a result, the grapes are not damaged during transport while getting maximum taste. One of the most important ways to improve the quality of the wines is by producing “Chateau style” wines which is accomplished by having a winery on site.
The grapes at Barbare Winery are fermented in heat-controlled stainless steel tanks, with a maximum residual sugar ratio of 0.5 g/l to produce dry wines with an alcohol content of between 12.5 and 14.5%.
The tanks are continuously monitored and samples are analyzed at the winery’s laboratory to ensure that the parameters are standard throughout the fermentation process. The fermentation process takes anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks, but can change each year according to the grapes harvested.
After the fermentation process is completed, the wines are subject to malolactic fermentation. During this process in wine making, tart-tasting malic acid that is naturally present in grape must is converted to softer-tasting lactic acid to create a rounder, fuller mouth feel, so the wines are rested in stainless steel tanks for a period longer. Afterwards, sample analyses are repeated and based on the results and oenologist Xavier Vignon’s assessments, the wines are matured in French oak barrels.
Barbare uses French oak barrels and the main principal that is followed is “to mature the wines without too much oak”. Furthermore, the oak barrels are used only for a maximum of 4 years.