Upright vat
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After having provided some details about barrels and casks of various sizes, we will now describe the truncated cone shaped vat; a vessel rediscovered thanks to the tradition of the Gamba family. For many centuries, oak was considered a good material for containing liquids; both for the fermentation of must and after for the aging of pressed wine. Research conducted in the 1970's revealed that even as a large vessel, the vat could impart variable aromas and an oak character during the fermentation process. In particular, the research recognized that oak staves act like ideal and diffuse micro-oxygenators making it possible to:
The oxygen uptake on young wines and musts is beneficial for better color through anthocyanin stabilization and rounder wines through polymerization of tannins resulting in softer longer chain tannins and age worthy wines.
Once fermentation is complete, the steel lid is fitted back into position and the vat is converted into a normal wine aging vessel. Vats can be supplied with a capacity of between 12 up to 110 HL.
