At this time of year, the cellar team does what they call “barrel work.” This year that included moving the 2014 Iowa Marquette from the 200-gallon French oak barrels in which it had aged since late in 2014 and replacing it with the 2015 Iowa Marquette which was moved from the stainless tank in which it was fermented. They also moved the 2014 Iowa Frontenac from small format barrels to a stainless steel tank.
This process gives us the opportunity to check aromas on the wine and to taste for the first time. This year it was WOW! They both smelled and tasted great! But, our work is not done so we keep tasting.
After emptying the barrels, we will clean them and fill them with water to soak over several days. Then, we will refill the barrels with the 2015 red wines.
