Types of

There is more than 600 varieties of oak wood in the nature, but only few are used for making barrels. The most commonly used oaks are Quercus petraea, pyrenaica, alba y robur oak. All of them have a specific profile in terms of physical and organoleptic parameters that are important for barrel making. What is more important to distinguish the type of oak is the provenance of the oak. That is why we are speaking rather about French oak, European oak, American or Spanish oaks. A particular area of origin influences wood characteristics with its climatic and physical conditions, i.e. grain size, porosity, tannic content, aroma compound.

Tonelería Duero manufactures barrels of all types of oak wood that are most in demand: French, American, Spanish and Central European oak, such as Romanian and Hungarian. We consider it very important to offer our clients all the richness of different varieties of oak as each one will bring a unique nuance to each wine.

French oak barrel (Quercus petraea) provides aromas of vanilla, sweet cream, fresh wood, fennel and balsamic.

American oak (Quercus alba) gives aromas of cinnamon, coconut, vanilla and spices.

Spanish oak (Quercus pyrenaica) provides aromas of balsamic, dill, vanilla, and cinnamon notes.

Our consultants will help clients to decide the type of oak barrel that is suitable for each product they need.

We care about sustainability of forests

The quality of the oak wood and its special characteristics determine the unique conditions of our barrels.

Precisely for this reason we consider that only the careful selection of the best raw material will give us an exceptional result.

Tonelería Duero dedicates a special effort to finding the best suppliers of sustainable forest wood with the PEFC or FSC certificate for each type we work with: French, Central European, Spanish and American oak.

Our specialists perform inspections to approve each supplier and to know the places where our raw materials come from. Each purchase campaign of oak wood is conducted according to our demanding quality standards.

Controlled maturation of staves

From the first moment the wood enters the Toneleria Duero we implement a strict selection and classification in addition to the monitoring process. Thus, we not only guarantee the quality of the staves, but we can also certify the origin of each of our barrels.

A long process of drying and maturing wood outdoors after its delivery is a crucial process for the wood to go through the profound physico-chemical transformations to reveal its organoleptic expression.

The oak is transforming its structure under the influence of the sun, rain, wind and temperature difference. Certain undesired molecules are being removed through the enzymatic transformation process. Humidity gradually drops to approximately 14-16% and the aromatic potential of the wood is developed.

Toneleria Duero has its own drying park on the banks of the Duero River of more than 3,000 square meters to deliver ongoing drying process. Future staves are placed in blocks in a certain way that favors air circulation. The natural humidity of the river contributes positively to the maturation process of the wood and helps to save water from periodic and controlled irrigation. The drying process lasts for 24-36 months depending on the type of the oak and external conditions. The wood for bottom parts of the barrel is drying for the longest period. Our specialist are constantly monitoring the drying process in order to determine the best moment for the wood to complete its transformation into staves.