Tonnellerie Quintessence
onnellerie Quintessence stands for French barrel-making craftsmanship at the highest level. Based near Bordeaux, it combines traditional know-how with innovative approaches to create barrels that refine and elevate the character of wines and spirits. In collaboration with the Wilhelm Eder cooperage, Quintessence offers a diverse portfolio of barriques and specialty casks tailored to the individual needs of winemakers and distillers.
Origin and Wood Quality
Tonnellerie Quintessence sources its oak from renowned French forests such as Jupilles, Tronçais, Fontainebleau, and Darney. The wood is air-dried for 24 to 30 months to ensure optimal maturation conditions.
This careful selection and preparation of the wood forms the foundation for barrels of the highest quality.
Overview of Barrel Types
Quintessence 225 l – Bordeaux Transport
Featuring a light toast, this barrel enhances the wine’s fruitiness and provides a balanced structure. Recommended for moderately aged red and white wines with a maturation period of 12 to 18 months.
Quintessence 225 l – Bordeaux Transport
Featuring a light toast, this barrel enhances the wine’s fruitiness and provides a balanced structure. Recommended for moderately aged red and white wines with a maturation period of 12 to 18 months.
Quintessence 228 l – Bourgogne Transport
Specifically designed for Burgundy-style wines, this barrel offers rich oak and roasted notes through its traditional Burgundy toasting. It supports the development of wines with balanced fruit and a fine finish.
Quintessence 228 l – Palatinate Oak “Johanniskreuz”
An exclusive barrel made from fine-grained German oak, developed in collaboration with Wilhelm Eder. Available in a range of toast levels including Medium, Medium Plus, and Nordic Whisky Toast, this barrel is suitable for wine, beer, and spirits.
Quintessence 225 l – Château Ferré
A premium barrique made from extra fine-grained French oak. Equipped with galvanized hoops and head braces, it offers refined aromas and structure for top-tier wines.
Perle de Quintessence 390 l
An innovative, oval-shaped fermentation barrel. It features a removable, hermetically sealed lid and a special “Perle” toasting that preserves the fruit character while adding complexity to the wine.
Toasting-Profiles
Quintessence offers a variety of precisely controlled toasting options to meet the diverse needs of winemakers. Some of the available toast levels include:
- Light Toast: Highlights the fruitiness and freshness of the wine
- Medium Toast: Adds structure and balanced roasted notes
- Château Toast: Develops complex aromas of mocha, espresso, and caramel
- Nordic Whisky Toast: Designed for spirits and beers, offering spicy and smoky notes
Additional toast levels are available upon request.
Collaboration with Wilhelm Eder
The Wilhelm Eder cooperage exclusively distributes barrels from Quintessence and also provides personalized consulting and support services. Through this close collaboration, custom solutions are created for winemakers and distillers with the highest standards of quality and individuality.
Conclusion
Tonnellerie Quintessence stands for outstanding cooperage that blends tradition with innovation. In partnership with Wilhelm Eder, it offers a wide range of barrels that uniquely shape the character of wines and spirits. Whether classic barriques or cutting-edge specialty casks – Quintessence delivers the right barrel for every demand.
Tonnellerie Quintessence barrels
The innovation of Quintessence in the area of fermentation is the barrel „Perle de Quintessence“. It was developed for the fermentation of special wines with the cut off and oval design. The technical specifications and the unique design were carefully designed and crafted in creative collaboration with Tonnellerie Quintessence and a Grand Cru Chateau in St. Emilion. This barrel, recently presented to the public, offers an elegant touch to premium wines. The story of Perle de Quintessence started in a restaurant in St. Emilion with a sketch on a table napkin. The impulse for this barrel originated from a basic need from wineries: To get access to the content during the fermentation without altering the barrel. A prototype was built in the Tonnellerie Quintessence with traditional cooper tools and was tested in a winery. To get constant quality they tested two different vintages with respectively eight Perle de Quintessence barrels. Benefits:- Particularly developed for fermentation- Easily removable lid with an hermetic seal- If wished you can increase the gad pressure so that the pomace is pressed more towards the juice- The design warrants that the trester is gathered at the most narrow and conical part of the barrel Wood: French oak Includes:- Pressure relief valve- Sample tap- Stainless steel cover Toasting: An extended pre-toast makes the staves more flexible and facilitates the barrel's special design. After the pre-toast they use a special developed Toasting called “Perle”. It preserves the fruit and adds a hint of oak and complexity. An elegant solution for many grape varieties.
The premium barrel of the Tonnellerie Quintessence With its 4 decorative chestnut hoops, the carefully selected wood, the beautifully decorated front and the 8 black barrel hoops, this barrique is a real highlight for your wine cellar.
Barrel staves stored for 24 monthsBarrel hoops: 6 hot-dip galvanised tyresWood origin: USA (Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma)Toasting technique: Traditional with toasted headsAromas: rich oak wood and roasted aromas, vanilla, spices, brown sugarPalate: balance between fruit and roasted aromas, rich in structure and with a fine finishPerfect for: strong red and white wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, SyrahWe recommend a maturation period of: 12-18 monthsWe have put together a selection of these toastings for you with brief information:These profiles represent a selection of very popular toasting variants in Europe. Many of these used alone are too much for one wine, therefore the combination must be sought and selected. The application to other types of wine is also conceivable! For further toasting profiles please contact us!Profiles 11:This toasting is designed for really fine wines, it adds body and length while creating a nice balance between fruit and wood. This toasting on the classic American barrel brings complexity and finesse! Can be used for example with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay.Profile 33:Developed by a European oenologist, designed for medium to very complex body red wines. This toast is applied in a relatively short time with great heat. Characteristic are vanilla aromas, light toasted characters, slightly wood characters on the tongue. To be applied e.g. with Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.Profile 37:A toast made by slowly and steadily applying heat. This toast enhances the toasted aromas, it brings a mix between dark toast, toffee and caramelized sugar. This toast gives the wine a typical barrique taste. To be used for example with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay.Profile 52:A toasting developed to reduce the lactone character in American oak. By increasing the toasting time and temperature, the lignin breakdown is increased and this profile pronounces vanilla notes. It is a toasting that offers the fruity character and light notes of dark toast and smoke aromas.Profile 105:Corresponds to the Medium Plus Toasting and is a further development of this, with a somewhat rounder finish.Profile 107:This toast is an intermediate between Profile 52 and Profile 33, it offers mild vanillin and roasted aromas, has its best results in Pinot Noir.
shape: Bordeaux Chateau Tradition, 95 cm stave length, with crossbar at the headBarrel staves stored for 24 monthsBarrel hoops: 8 hot-dip galvanised hoops, additionally willow or chestnut wood hoops at the barrel headsWood origin: France (Jupilles, Troncais, Fontainebleau, Darney)Toasting technique: ChateauAromatic: complex oak, mocha, espresso, caramel, cedarPalate: considerable depth, fruity, fine and elegant tannin structurePerfectly suited for: Red wines that are to be stored for a longer period of time. (Cabernet, Sauvignon, Merlot)We recommend a maturation period of: 18+ months
shape: Bordeaux Tradition, 95 cm stave lengthBarrel staves stored for 24 monthsBarrel hoops: 6 hot-dip galvanised hoopsWood origin: France (Jupilles, Troncais, Fontainebleau, Darney)Toasting technique: TraditionalAromas: rich oak wood and roasted aromas, vanilla, spices, brown sugarPalate: balance between fruit and roasted aromas, rich in structure and with a fine finishPerfectly suited for: moderately matured, balanced wines, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, SyrahWe recommend a maturation period of: 12-18 months
A barrique barrel of the highest quality and performance level made of extra fine-pored French oak.It is equipped with hot-dip galvanized hoops and cross bars on the barrel bottoms.Wood type: French oakToasting: Medium (other toastings on request)
Extra fine wood selectionfor a longer maturation period >18 monthsless oxygen exchange and therefore smoother tannin releaseToast: Medium (other toastings on request)
shape: Burgundy Export, 88 cm stave lengthBarrel staves stored for 24 monthsBarrel hoops: 8 hot-dip galvanised hoopsWood origin: France (Jupilles, Troncais, Fontainebleau, Darney)Toasting technique: TraditionalAromas: rich oak wood and roasted aromas, vanilla, spices, brown sugarPalate: balance between fruit and roasted aromas, rich in structure and with a fine finishPerfectly suited for: moderately matured, balanced wines, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, SyrahWe recommend a maturation period of: 12-18 months
Barrel-Collection: „Johanniskreuz“ - 228 l barrel of fine grain german oak, airseasoned 24 months to 30 months- Stave dimension: 27 mm- 8 galvanized and subsequently black anodized hoops (exclusively look)- Exclusively produced by Tonnellerie Quintessence for Wilhelm Eder GmbHToastings:- Medium Toast- Medium Plus Toast- Nordic Whisky ToastThe first barrel of German oak of a French premium production which is provided for an extended clientele!
Extra fine wood selectionfor a longer maturation period >18 monthsless oxygen exchange and therefore smoother tannin releaseToast: Medium (other toastings on request)
