After 35 years of passion and dedication to the cooperage business, Vincent Bouchard is finally putting his signature on a barrel.

Bouchard Cooperages is very proud to announce the introduction of Master Coopers, a new global brand that draws on decades of experience in research and development from one of the leading experts in the world on barrel fabrication and application. The essence of the brand: Vincent Bouchard has developed a unique toasting recipe for each traditional region of barrel production. He will work together with highly selected master coopers in specific winemaking regions — top coopers who know their local customers, regional grape varietals and the style of barrels most desired for them — to craft a barrel that he believes will be an essential fit as a production component for the wines produced in those regions.

The first phase of the brand's introduction begins with Master Coopers Produit de Bourgogne.

Working closely with a select Burgundian Cooper with whom he has had the longest relationship, Bouchard has created a barrel that shows ultimate respect for terroir. In his words, "When a barrel is at its best, the fruit is the star of the show. Over the last 35 years, I have tasted through many varietals of wines from all over the world in thousands of barrels from all different Coopers. After a while, you begin to realize that each Cooper has a distinct signature. Some are quite overpowering, while others are almost invisible. Some add their impact on the nose, some in the mid palate, and others on the finish."

"What I wanted to achieve with the Master Coopers recipe is a complete integration of wood and wine throughout five stages of tasting: the nose, the front palate, the mid palate, the finish, and what in Italy we call the "retro gusto," where the wine comes back after spitting. The integration will be balanced in a way that shows a reverence for fruit and terroir. The barrel will play an important role, much like a full orchestra in front of the stage; but the spotlight will be on the stage itself, where fruit and terroir play the leading roles."

As a team, Bouchard Cooperages collaborates with Winemakers on specific grape varietals, terroirs, and winemaking styles to provide barrels that create a balanced integration throughout the five stages of tasting, often helping the Winemaker ameliorate what might be lacking in any of the five stages — fruit on the nose and front palate, roundness and support in the mid palate, substantial length, and retro gusto. Master Coopers Produit de Bourgogne barrels will feature 100% 3-year air-dry French oak from specially selected premier forests, and will be available in both the "Slow Blue" and "Slow Red" toasts: Slow Blue for Chardonnay and other whites; Slow Red for Pinot Noir and other delicate/aromatic reds.