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The Art of Precision.
Demptos combines the craft skills of the traditional cooper with the latest technological advances to turn the barrel into a modern oenological tool.
Demptos Barrel Collections
Demptos barrels blend centuries of Bordeaux tradition with scientific expertise to craft oak that expresses the character of every grape variety.
French oak staves are carefully selected based on grain and quality to ensure a balanced tannin structure and highly expressive aromatics.
American oak barrels offer elegance and a delicate structure providing winemakers with exceptional reliability and clarity in flavour development.
Demptos crafts barrels that serve as modern winemaking instruments, uniting long-standing cooperage traditions with state of the art techniques.
Founded in the heart of Bordeaux.
Demptos has refined its expertise over two centuries, shaped by close ties with local winemakers and a legacy of knowledge passed from one generation to the next.
Their commitment to advanced wine-ageing solutions has led to a broad range of barrels produced from traceable forest origins and used by prominent wineries worldwide. The cooperage has endured major challenges throughout the 20th century while maintaining the values and exacting standards established at its founding. From oak selection and maturing to toasting and assembly, Demptos blends tradition with innovation to craft barrels that meet the expectations of winemakers around the world.
Demptos Research and Development Centre
The Research and Development Department, founded in 1991 in partnership with the Bordeaux Faculty of Oenology and elevated to the Research Centre in 2009, underpins Demptos’ scientific approach to cooperage. That long-term investment in research has brought fresh winemaking expertise to customers worldwide while the cooperage expanded internationally. Demptos Bordeaux remains responsible for around 40 per cent of production and continues to manufacture some of the cooperage’s most iconic barrels.
Over more than two decades, the science teams have refined the technical criteria that link wood grain and quality selection to predictable barrel performance. Timber is isolated and categorised by grain and macro-porosity, then identified using technological markers that improve repeatability within individual forests. Findings from the Centre directly inform oak selection practices and the drying schedules used in Demptos’ seasoning parks, and guide how staves are matched to toasting and assembly to achieve consistent flavour and structural outcomes.
The result is greater precision in producing barrels that deliver reliable tannin structure, aromatic clarity, and predictable ageing performance for winemakers.
Oak Selection
Demptos combines traditional expertise with scientific analysis to assess each tree’s potential and anticipate the quality of the barrel and the wine it will mature. Although research has improved the precision of oak selection, the cooperage continues to prioritise fundamental criteria, particularly the origin and species of the wood.
Demptos attends every timber sale when sourcing oak from France (Quercus petraea and Quercus robur) and North America (Quercus alba). Careful attention is given to provenance, with wood selected from respected forest regions to ensure consistency, balanced tannin structure, and expressive aromatics. This level of precision in selection supports winemakers seeking reliability and clarity in flavour development.
Drying Methods
Drying and seasoning demand patience and precision, with time and natural elements playing a critical role in preparing each stave. The quality of this process strongly influences the aromatic expression of the finished barrel. Outdoor seasoning allows rainfall to leach the most astringent tannins, while naturally occurring fungal activity helps shape the phenolic profile. This environment also supports the gradual transformation of lignin to vanillin, a development more effective under natural conditions than artificial drying.
Through ongoing technical work, Demptos has established optimal seasoning times for each oak type. All selected wood is air-dried for a minimum of 24 months and up to 36 months. The French oak is seasoned at the Saint-Caprais-de-Bordeaux site, which forms part of a network of drying parks receiving roughly 900 millimetres of annual rainfall. In the United States, the Cuba, Missouri facility is dedicated to seasoning American oak used in Demptos Napa barrels.
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Technical Data
| Demptos Bordeaux | Demptos Napa | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | › Bordeaux, France › 44°44'54.6"N › 0°25'44.8"W | › Napa, California, United States › 38.242010916785595 › -122.27231983068917 |
| Climate Description | › Climate Index 76 › Rainfall: average 124 rainy days per year, 900mm per year › Monthly precipitation › 65-110mm per month, Oct-March (Winter) › 50-80mm per month, April-August (Summer) | › Rainfall: Cuba, Missouri seasoning yards: 1000mm per year / 14 inches snow |
| Temperature Range | › 6.6-14.9°C Mean Oct-March (Winter) › 12.3-21.4° Mean April-August (Summer) | › Average 14.4°C |
| Barrel Sizes Specifications | › 225l Bordeaux, 6 hoops, 27mm staves, 49kg › 228l Burgundy, 8 hoops, 27mm staves, 50kg › 300l Hogshead, 8 hoops, 27mm staves, 61kg › 500l Puncheon, 8 hoops, 27mm staves, 78kg | › 225l Bordeaux, 6 hoops, 27mm staves, 49kg › 300l Hogshead, 8 hoops, 27mm staves, 61kg |
| Seasoning Description | › All of the wood selected by the Demptos Cooperage is air-dried for at least 24 months, and up to 36. › All of the French oak is dried here, on the 20,000m² site at Saint-Caprais-de-Bordeaux. | › Exclusively open air seasoned, in Cuba, Missouri › 36 month › 48 month |
| Bending Practice Fire/Steam/Water | › Exclusively Fire Bent Staves | › Exclusively Fire Bent Staves |
| Grains | › OH>15 Specialty grain selection › “D” Collection specialty stave / grain selection (Merlot/Chardonnay/Shiraz/Cabernet) › Medium Open › Medium › Medium Tight › Tight › “Reserve” (Very Tight) | › Tight |
| Toasts | › Paradox specialty toast › Light › Medium › Medium Plus › Heavy › Light Long (LX) › Medium Light-Long (MLX) › Medium Long (MX) › Toasted Heads available | › Medium › Medium + › Toasted Heads available |
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Products
Demptos Bordeaux
Tradition Cooper Select
Crafted from exceptionally fine-grained French oak, the Tradition Cooper Select barrel delivers a perfect, repeatable balance of aromas, tannins, and macroporosity. It gently shapes the wine, offering a harmonious oak integration that respects the fruit. Ideal for winemakers seeking precise control, it elevates structural elegance while preserving vibrant varietal character.
Available in:
| 24 Month Natural Airdrying | 36 Month Natural Airdrying |
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Réserve
The Réserve barrel is crafted from the finest French oak, with staves selected for uniformity and exceptionally fine grain. Designed for long maturation, it allows oxidative development while imparting limited tannin influence and a pronounced aromatic character. Ideal for structured, balanced wines, Réserve enhances complexity and elegance over extended ageing.
Available in:
| 24 Month Natural Airdrying | 36 Month Natural Airdrying |
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Paradox
The Paradox barrel is crafted using an intense, high-temperature toast that avoids charring, preserving the wine’s natural aromatic character. This innovative process gently influences the wine, enhancing sweetness and volume while keeping tannins soft and subtle. Ideal for wines sensitive to oak, Paradox adds complexity and balance without introducing pronounced toasting or roasting aromas.
Available in:
- 225 Litre Bordeaux Export
- 228 Litre Burgundy Export
- 300 Litre Hogshead
Essencia
The Essencia barrel is made from oak chosen for its ability to enhance fruity and floral aromas in wine. Its natural properties gently interact with the wine, highlighting the grape’s character and expressing the unique qualities of the vineyard. Best suited to aromatic grape varieties, Essencia brings forward bright fruit and delicate floral notes while maintaining balance and elegance.
Available in:
- 225 Litre Chateau Ferrée
- 225 Litre thin Stave Export 22mm
OH>15
The OH>15 barrel is crafted from specially selected oak designed to balance wines with high alcohol and ripe fruit profiles. It preserves delicate spicy notes, limits harsh phenolic extraction, and supports smoother, more harmonious wines. Ideal for white wines matured on the lees and alcohol-rich reds, OH>15 enhances balance and elegance while maintaining the wine’s natural expression.
Available in:
- 225 Litre Bordeaux Export
- 228 Litre Burgundy Export
- 300 Litre Hogshead
“D” Collection
The D’Collection barrels are tailored to the specific characteristics of each grape variety, with wood selection, blending, and toast level adjusted accordingly. This range is particularly suited to mono-varietal wines, helping to highlight varietal aromas, structure, and flavour nuances. By matching barrels to a grape’s inherent traits, D’Collection ensures balance, clarity, and expression across a broad spectrum of wines.
Available in:
| 24 Month Natural Airdrying | 36 Month Natural Airdrying |
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Demptos Napa
Demptos Napa
The Demptos Napa barrel is crafted from Quercus alba oak sourced from a small, carefully managed region of less than 50 square miles in southern Missouri. The staves are air-dried for 36 to 48 months under near-perfect natural conditions, including wind, winter snow, high rainfall, humidity, and summer sunshine. Only the finest staves with tight grain are selected, ensuring consistent quality and optimal structural complexity.
This careful selection and seasoning produces barrels that impart soft, sweet, and expressive flavours, with whisky-lactone contributing gentle vanilla notes and subtle oak character. The Demptos Napa barrel adds richness and aromatic depth while maintaining balance, making it well-suited for a variety of red and white wines, either on their own or in blends.
Available in:
| 36 Month Natural Airdrying | 48 Month Natural Airdrying |
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Contact
Your Demptos Specialist
Speak to Tony Worthington, our Demptos specialist, for a personalised product experience. If you have any questions about Demptos oak products or the rest of our range, please don’t hesitate to contact Tony:
Mobile: 0498 579 501
Email: tony@classicoakproducts.com
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