Li Causi barrel at Tasca’s Regaleali estate

I had first seen the Li Causi logo a few months ago, stamped onto a barrel at Tasca’s Regaleali estate. The image is of a man hammering rings of metal onto a wooden barrel. I took a photo of it, with a mental note to research the company. I didn’t, time got away from me and I forgot about the little hammering man…until last week.

Honestly, barrels aren’t something that I often think about. I should though–they are used in the fermentation and aging of the majority of big reds, also a number of white wines too. Each seemingly insignificant stage of the barrel making process will affect the final result of the wine: from the age of the wood to the level of ‘toasting’. Tasca ages some of their wines in Li Causi barrels: the results are fantastic. The Riserva Del Conte…