The cooperage at Domaine Guigal in Ampuis

Few major French wine estates have their own cooperage. In Ampuis, in the heart of the Côte-Rôtie appellation, the Guigal Estate It houses his own. Sylvain, a cooper "from father to son," crafts the precious oak barrels there with masterful skill. Philippe Guigal reveals what goes on behind the scenes.

When Sylvain's hammer strikes the metal hoops encircling the barrels, tiny fragments of the winemaking secrets emerge. These are the secrets linked to the creation of prestigious wines from the northern Rhône Valley, such as the Condrieu, Side-Roast… “Making a great barrel is as difficult as making a great wine,” summarizes Philippe Guigal. The eloquence of this statement praises the extraordinary ability of this piece of wood to magnify the aromas of great vintages.

A cooperage paying homage to a historic wine-growing region

Creating his own cooperage was, for Marcel Guigal, "a bit like a dream." He fulfilled it in 2003, explains his son Philippe. It found a home within the grounds of the Château d'Ampuis, a family property listed as a historical monument.

For him, the choice of location is a meaningful "wink". Making barrels between walls erected in the 15th and 17th centuries offers a heritage setting worthy of an ancestral know-how invented by the Gauls.

The symbolism is even more powerful when one considers that terraced viticulture on the steep slopes of Ampuis dates back to Gallo-Roman times. The region is also the birthplace of Syrah, the emblematic grape variety of Côte-Rôtie.

Philippe Guigal also refers to the house's stance, namely its ability to practice "all the trades of the vine and wine." However, this requirement has its limits, he concludes, because "we arrive at a very clear phenomenon": one cannot simply become a cooper overnight.

From its opening, the cooperage was entrusted to Sylvain, a young craftsman specializing in the subject. When he talks about his beginnings here, he speaks with fervor of the "incredible luck" he had, of having been "propelled at 20 years old to this position of very great responsibility".

Oak cases born from the virtuosity of artisanal gestures

Sylvain is originally from Cognac. He inherited his expertise from a family lineage, in which the art of coopering was initiated by his great-grandfather.

Despite the demanding nature of the work, he operates using traditional methods, remaining faithful to the established practices. Five thousand hammer blows accompany the assembly of the five barrels he assembles daily. The installation of a press for finishing the hoops does, however, alleviate the physical strain.

In the workshop, he begins assembling a piece in front of us. His movements are sure and admirable. It all starts with the stage poetically named "rose-shaped." With dexterity, he joins side by side about forty staves, vertical pieces of wood that form the walls.

Held by the single iron ring placed on top of the structure, at the base they spread outwards, seeming to challenge the fragile balance of such an assembly.

Outside, flames leap from heaters built into the ground, like small volcanoes. Sylvain places his barrel over one of them. The wood will then be "heated throughout," then sparingly sprinkled with water to soften it.

At times, small embers escape, crackling as they drift through the air. The creaking of the wood can also be heard when a capstan bends another piece that has become malleable.

Undaunted, the cooper works on several pieces at the same time. There, he adds and hammers on iron bands, all while busying himself with the toasting.

This final, crucial step relies on intuition and observation. The technique involves toasting the inside of the barrels over a flame to release the aromas of the wood. It fills the air with rich, indulgent scents, a blend of vanillin, hazelnuts, and roasted almonds.

In an adjoining cellar, the finished barrels await the next harvest. They will then be offered to the estate's grand wines so that, from the alchemy of the native aromas of the oak and the grape, the precious nectars may be born.

The design of these types of barrels necessarily depends on exceptional wood. This wood comes from the northeast of the Allier region, where our focus now turns, towards the finest oak forests in France.

Tronçais, the forest with precious woods

In the 17th century, Louis XIV entrusted Colbert with the task of building up timber stocks for the navy. The minister fulfilled the Sun King's order. He reorganized the Tronçais oak forestwhich has now become the largest oak forest in Europe.

The upkeep of this remarkable heritage is the responsibility of the National Forestry Office. Thanks to sustainable management practices, tree harvesting is permitted. The finest trees are reserved for the cooperage industry.

In France, the sessile oak variety is primarily used for crafting containers for aging and maturing wine. The fine grain, or very compact texture of the wood, provides the necessary airtightness for elegant aging.

Tradition dictates that staves, the wood destined to become barrel staves, are sold in the specific context of candle auctions. The buyer is the one whose bid is placed when the candle goes out.

The cooperage at Château d'Ampuis embodies the art and skill with which new generations carefully embrace winemaking traditions. It also guarantees that the estate's wines are crafted with meticulous attention to detail at every stage, all carried out entirely on-site. This philosophy, imbued with passion, inspires the creation of great wines and contributes to cultivating the identity of a region inextricably linked to its winemaking heritage.

Explore the wine-growing and viticultural heritage of the Northern Rhône Valley

The Castle Cellar Museum

A space that immerses visitors in the history of the vineyards and winemakers of the Rhône Valley since Antiquity. Created with the support of the Saint-Romain-en-Gal Museum, it houses a large selection of historical objects related to vines and wine, from the Guigal Family collection.

• The Château cellar
• 6 Route de la Roche – 69420 Ampuis
• Tel. 04 58 17 08 70

Destination Vineyards and Discoveries Northern Rhône Valley 

Seven prestigious appellations cultivated on both banks of the Rhône River: Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Château-Grillet, Saint-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage, and Cornas. Meet the men and women who will introduce you to their exceptional terroir.

• Discover all the best places in the destination

Museum and archaeological sites of Saint-Romain-en-Gal 

From its collections to its cultural programming, the museum invites visitors to immerse themselves in the art of living in ancient Vienna. Magnificent mosaics, such as the Lycurgus mosaic, and terracotta pieces illustrate the intense wine-growing activity of the time.

• Museum and archaeological sites of Saint-Romain-en-Gal 
• D502 -69560 Saint-Romain-en-Gal
• Tel. 04 74 53 74 01