Last year Vivelys launched two variants of the Boisé Inspiration staves building on their twenty years of experience and expertise in oak alternatives developed through extensive research and their Boisé oak chip line. The enthusiasm and demand in the market for these staves has pushed Vivelys to release three more staves in the line to serve more flavor profiles and the continued drive for premiumization in the market.
“It is important to us to respond to our customers’ needs,” says Cecilia Cunningham, Vivelys. “The customers that know our chips very well were expecting us to evolve with them in their premiumization strategy, but also customers coming from barrels who want to have alternatives that make them more competitive and give them more control over their wine profile, have been attracted to the new Boisé Inspiration staves.”
The two original 7mm Inspiration staves had distinct flavor profiles. The #7.1 offering vanilla flavors and the #7.5 a more smoky character. The new launch includes a third 7mm stave, #7.3, with coffee and caramel flavors and two 20mm variants #20.1 and #20.3.
- Boisé Inspiration #20.1: a 20mm stave that strengthens fruit and concentration in the mouthfeel
- Boisé Inspiration #20.3: a 20mm stave that intensifies the elegance of wine and its richness in the palate.
“The thicker staves create a flavor profile with more structure and a bigger mouthfeel overall; it’s a fuller wine at the end,” explains Cunningham. “The thicker staves also release the components slower, and the longer integration period gives the winemaker more time to define their wine profile.”
To complement the new staves, Vivelys has created a new micro-oxygenation machine, the Visio S, which is small, portable, and adaptable to use in different parts of the winemaking process.
“Staves are a great tool, but alone and without oxygen the results are muted because everything that’s happening inside the barrel is a combination of the oxygen, the lees, and the oak. So without the oxygen, the results will degrade and the final outcome is not the same,” says Cunningham.
The Visio S unit can dose two tanks at a time; dosing can be done manually or with its new semi-automated system. The new Assistant Visio for Micro-Oxygenation program holds all the expertise of Vivelys’ latest research inside this small unit, which can give information on different micro-oxygenation recipes benefiting the wine.
“All the knowhow of Vivelys, the consulting we’ve been doing for years, the experience we have between different countries is inside the machine,” explains Cunningham, “so instead of having to go and put in a fixed dose and then adapt by tasting, you could have a sequential dosing depending on the variety, the tannins, and the final result you’re trying to get. Different variables create different results, depending on what you want to do. It’s a semi-automatic system that can be taken to an automatic final once adjusted according to the fermentation or the aging.”
Like all Boisé products, the new Boisé Inspiration staves are manufactured in Aire-sur-l’Adour, France from 100% new French oak and reflect Boisé’s relentless focus on research, innovation and product development. Boisé relies on the latest production technology when manufacturing the staves, including analytical sorting of raw material, precise heat processing and oak-wine interaction experience. All of this is backed by its own field support to ensure consistent performance, precision oak profiles and desired results on targeted wine profiles.
“Our customers need premium, precise, and consistent solutions,” says Cunningham, “and that’s what we’re providing with the expanded range of staves and the Visio S.”
Boisé staves and oak chips are distributed by G3 Enterprises in the United States. Customer technical consultations available at your service. If you want to join the next Technical Seminar in Paso Robles and Napa the week of March 18th, please contact G3 Enterprises, at G3.Info@G3enterprises.com.
