Barrique Bordelaise

Classic barrique barrel with the volume of 225 litres; see under Barrique.

Term for the French wooden barrel, but also very often used for the ageing of a wine in such a container, i.e. barrique ageing. It is said to be derived from barricade, as barrels filled with earth were used as roadblocks during the July Revolution of 1830 when the Bourbons were finally overthrown. However, the ship's measure of 225 litres was already used in the Bordelais in the Middle Ages. This is exactly a quarter of the 900 litre tonneau, a common type of barrel. In France, the barrique barrel is also known as the "château model". The pièce used in Burgundy and Champagne also has approximately this volume, as does the English oxhoft, which can be regarded as the forerunner of the barrique. Barrique barrels are also used for ageing spirits such as whisky or beer.

Barriquefass

Volume of the barrique barrel

The 225 litres of the barrel, also known as "Barrique Bordelaise", are not to be understood as a generally valid or "binding standard". The size and shape resulted from the fact that a single person was still able to carry it empty and transport (roll) it when full. Incidentally, the 225 litre barrels hold exactly 300 0.75 litre bottles. It is sometimes assumed that this was another reason for the cask size. This made it easy to check whether there had been any shrinkage...

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Barrique Bordelaise

Barrique

Volume of the barrique barrel

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