Open-top Wood Fermentors
Open-top wood fermentors have been used in France for centuries and are a testament to our Burgundian heritage. California winemakers have traditionally abandoned them in favor of stainless-steel tanks, which make fermentation easier to control and results more predictable. However, we at DeLoach prefer to live more dangerously. In the words of Consulting Head Winemaker Greg LaFollette, we "don't practice ‘safe’ winemaking, so [the wine] goes to the limit of what it can be." We believe that using open-top wood fermentors is the best way to craft terroir-driven, delicious wines that are a true expression of our vineyards, passion, and expertise, and we incorporate them into the vinification of all our Russian River Valley, Vineyard Designate and OFS Pinot Noirs.