The Experience® 1000L Oak Vat

It is the result of the cooperation between Garbellotto mastercoopers and the expert winemaker Roberto Cipresso.

The name refer to the broad meaning of the word “experience” as a re-interpretation of fermentation in wood. This traditional technique, allows the production of musts with color and aroma more stable and clean thanks to the dual effect of micro-oxygenation combined with the exchange of natural tannins during the fermentation.

The capacity is 1.000 liters, suitable for those who are not used to realize the fermentation in wood to gradually come nearer to this practice, and at the same time to give to whom normally uses the barrel a more practical instrument that guarantees the same result on the wine.

At the end of harvest, The Experience ® can be used as a container for aging, thanks to an exchange surface similar to a tonneaux of 500 lt and to the perfect seal, guaranteed by a special gasket and closing system.

The trunk conical shape, designed so that the height is lower than the width, has an effect on the floating force contemplated by Archimedes’s principle, blocking the thrust upwards of the cap. It ‘also available a practical kit to keep the cap submerged during fermentation and an optional which allows the stacking of two units.

The top roof is made in stainless steel 18/10 AISI 316 mirror polished, with handles to open it and a central opening of 160 mm for filling up during aging. During fermentation, this top can be completely removed for more practical processing with an wide opening of 1200 mm.

The Experience ® is also equipped with stainless steel supports to allow an easy handling and lifting. These supports are firmly anchored to the wood frame, so that it is possible dumping the must directly into the press.

The Experience ® can be stacked, even full, thanks to a specific optional.

Features: 

• Fork Lift and Pallet Jack Accessible
• Bin Dumping Capability
• Fully Sealable Stainless Steel Lid
• Full Discharge Tube with Ball Valve
• Glass Self Topping Airlock
• Stackable two high full with Stacking Accessory

Complete Drainage Pipe in AISI 304 Stainless Steel with 2" Tri-Clover Ball Valve

Fully Sealable Stainless Steel Lid with Secure Latches. Lid in AISI 304 Stainless Steel. 

Fork liftable from the front and rear of the vat, and pallet jackable from either side of the vat, the designed legs give you easy maneuverabilty of the Experience.

The toasting is the process that enhances the flavors of the wood catalyzing those already present in the same and positively evolving them. Until now this process was realized on a brazier fed with pieces of oak where it was placed the barrel or cask. It is clear that the wood evolves these aromas according to toasting temperatures, which must be on the range of 170/180/200 degrees centigrade depending on whether you seek, more or less aromas of vanilla, licorice, chocolate, or tobacco smoke.

If the temperature and internal exposure of the staves is not homogeneous and controlled, the result are casks or barrels with aromas undefined. The staves taking less heat will develop bitter and negative aromas, the staves that take too much exposure can produce negative aromas of graphite. For this reason we created and patented the DTS® digital toasting, where a tablet, thanks to sensors, can handle the fire levels so that it is constant over the entire surface of the wood.

The growth of wood, like grapes and all natural products, depends on micro climatic variables such as the degree of humidity in the area, the composition of the earth as well as the exposure of the hill or plain. The selection criteria generally used are based only on the region and the experience of the producer. It cannot be said that wood originating from a specific region has a higher level of polyphenols than others grown in other regions, since the origins don’t make the difference, whereas the single stave does. If we think about the difference between the grapes produced in one vineyard and others produced at a distance of 5 km we can well understand just how much difference exists inside a forest where the distances reach 100km and over. The ordinary methods of analysis are ineffective as only samples of a few cm of wood are assessed in laboratories and are thus representative only of themselves.

With NIR (Near Infra-Red) technology every stave is controlled under infra-red light and its aromatic and structural features are analyzed online in order to have all the information as if it were a radiography.