Before being poured into barrels, the wine first matures in large vats. The container allows grape juice to turn into wine, without altering the taste. Most often made of oak, the wooden vats help the micro-oxygenation of the wine, developing additional tannins and empyreumatic (smokey) aromas. The wine takes on vanilla, toasted almonds, or woody aromas. However, the wooden vat requires rigorous maintenance between two vinifications to avoid the proliferation of mold and bacteria. Poor maintenance can lead to organoleptic deviations.