The majority of our red wines mature in our barrel cellars.
The porous oak staves of the barrels allow the wines to undergo a natural process of micro-oxygenation, so that during the maturation they become more supple, harmonious, and more firmly structured. A climate-maintenance unit in the cellars ensures a constant temperature of 16-18oC and a humidity around 80%, an ideal environment for a correct maturation of wine.
Barrels and Tonneaux
For our 225-litre barrels and our 550-litre tonneaux, we selected fine-grained Allier oak with a medium toast level, which we believe is ideal for obtaining world-class red wines that express the particular qualities of grapes grown in our area. These reds are Liano (18 months in tonneaux), Tauleto (24 in barrels) and Yemula (18 months in tonneaux).
Liano Bianco is the only Umberto Cesari dry white wine to undergo this type of maturation, spending 3 months in tonneaux, while the sweet Colle del Re Passito wine rests 24 months in barrels.
Large ovals
In addition to the barrels and tonneaux, we have larger-capacity casks in the barrel room, up to 30 hectolitres, constructed of oak from Slavonia, an area in the Balkans long renowned for the quality of its oak. Maturation in these large oak ovals softens the wine’s tannins and gives it overall complexity, without negatively impacting the wine’s sensory characteristics. Wines aged in these ovals are Laurento (24 months), and Moma Rosso (6 months).
