"We have been searching for this style of oak for many years. From Chardonnay to Shiraz to Cabernet the range of treatments and the help we have received from the team is helping us refine the matches we make each year. Apart for the distinctive toast, complementary structure and fragrance it adds, the all important "consistency" is hard to beat! " Larry Cherubino Winemaker Cherubino Wines

M: MAISON
Our house toast – A medium flame and light water treatment gives a toast penetration of 3-5 mm and a toasted bread colour to the wood. This helps to produce wines of character, body and a supple round, fleshy mouth feel. Aromas of chocolate, coffee and vanilla are common. (Also available in M- and M+ the difference is time on the flame).
Brokenwood Graveyard Shiraz 228L Grand Cru 3 Years M
Heathcote Estate Shiraz 300L Tight Grain M
Clonakilla 228L Grand Cru 3 Years M
Château Carbonnieux 50% CLL22 et 50% M 22mm Tight Grain

ST: SPECIAL TOAST
Frequent water combined with a medium flame ensures a gentle light brown toasting that penetrates into the wood 6- 7mm. This long toast reflects the aromatic and structural profile of the barrel adding elegance, length, and minerality to the wine. Floral and fruit aromatics are accentuated and framed without wood dominance.
Yabby Lake Pinot Noir block wine 500LTight Grain & Grand Cru 3 years ST
Chateau la Riviere Fronsac Merlot BX Tight Grain Selection 22mm ST
Tribut Dauvissat Chablis Grand Cru 3 years ST

GC: GRAND CRU
Regular water treatment combined with an extended firing at higher temperatures creates our most impactful, deepest toast (7-8mm). This coffee coloured toast adds richness and structure to a wine. The barrel supports the wine, building body and length. The Grand cru is our ‘umami toast’, needs rich ripe fruit or can be overpowering.
Vasse Felix Heytesbury Chardonnay 225L Selection Tight Grain Grand Cru T
Jim Barry the Armagh 300L Tight Grain Grand Cru Toasting
Kaesler Old Bastard 228L Grand Cru 3 years Grand Cru Toasting
Domaine Ramonet Chassagne Rouge Grand Cru oak
           
LF: LIGHT FRUITY
A lighter toast designed to respect the wine’s fruit. Craie wood grown in these less fertile soils is generally lighter in terms of tannins and aromatic precursors. We use water and steam in this medium-light toast to respect the wood’s delicate structure and to prevent the development of strong toast aromas. This technique also allows a deep penetration of the heat, avoiding any sappy aspects to the barrel.
Recommended for short oak maceration between 6 and 10 months.
Domaine Jacquesson à Rully (30% New Barrel, 100% TM LF)
Chapoutier  - White blend
Domaine Pichon – Côte Rotie Village

CLL: CHAUFFE LIGHT LONG
At the opposite end of the spectrum to the GC, the CLL is delicately toasted over a low flame of oak embers. Its honey coloured profile penetrates 3-5mm, thus requiring a long slow toast. This, very light toast, has minimal aromatic impact on the wine but adds a freshness and suppleness, which imparts to the wine brilliance and luminosity. Our experience is that this toast needs at least 12 months to fully integrate into the wine. The CLL toast is only offered with 30 month air-dried “Selection Nicolas” oak, 27mm or 22mm.
Domaine Dujac Villages and 1er Cru
Vincent Dauvissat – Chablis 1ier & Grand cru
Château Haut Bailly  - Pessac Leognan Grand cru Classé (22 mm)
Domaine des Perdrix – Nuits St George - Echezeaux

CL: CHAUFFE LIGHT
Born from an experiment with Domaine Dujac pushing the CLL boundary. A “cool fire” with a short toast period over a low flame of oak embers. It is around half the time than CLL. The oak stays very fresh. This toasting has to be used on a very high quality grapes and very long oak ageing 20 months minimum to integrate the fresh oak.
Domaine Dujac Grand Crus
Thibaut Liger Belair Richebourg
Domaine Prieur Musigny and Echezeaux
Bernard Gripa Condrieux – white blend

CLL+: CHAUFFE LIGHT LONG PLUS
A light and long toast derived from our classic CLL toast and has been developed specially to get the best out of the “Pierre” wood. In the CLL+ toast, we replace the last minutes of (usual low-temperature) toasting form the CLL by a quick “coup de flame”. This allows us to take advantage of the “Pierre” wood natural richness while preserving its structure.
Clos de Tart 50% CLL+ 50% CLL
Domaine du Tertre – Pauillac – Grand Cru Classé  - 22 mm
Domaine Jean Pillot – Chassage Montrachet 1 cru Blanc