French cooper Alban Trouvé works his craft at Cathiard Vineyard

While most of Napa Valley’s stories begin in the vineyard, Alban Trouvé’s craft starts with oak and fire. The French-born cooper has spent 25 years shaping wood into form, transforming raw staves into barrels that subtly influence the flavor, texture and character of the wines they contain. Today, Trouvé has brought his French-born expertise to Cathiard Vineyard, a historic estate tucked at the end of Zinfandel Lane and newly revitalized under fresh ownership since 2020. Cathiard is the only Napa Valley winery with an onsite cooperage dedicated to its barrel needs as part of wine production.

For Trouvé, the work begins long before the fire is lit. The barrels at Cathiard are born in France’s most storied forests—Tronçais, Loches and Châteauroux—where oak is harvested and set aside for this special purpose. Cathiard sources only French oak, prized for its complexity and nuance.

“American oak tends to bring bolder flavors—coffee and chocolate—but fewer aromatic compounds,” Trouvé explains. “French oak offers a spectrum: vanilla, hazelnut, banana, caramel. It gives us a broader palette to work with.”

Once harvested, the oak rests for three years at the cooperage of Château Smith Haut Lafitte in Bordeaux. There, the wood undergoes a natural drying process: Open to the elements, sap slowly leaches out, rain and humidity seep in and sunshine eventually draws the moisture away. What remains is wood that is seasoned, stable and ready for transformation.

Back in Napa, Trouvé inspects each imported stave with the precision of a jeweler. A blemish or flaw of any kind, and the piece is discarded due to the fear of future leaks. From the chosen wood varying in different-sized staves, he carves gentle curves, fitting them together into a circle known as the rose—a skeletal form that hints at the barrel it will become. Then comes the fire. The rose is placed over open flames, and as the heat bends the wood into its familiar rounded silhouette, metal hoops and wire cinch it into place. Water is added across the surface to prevent cracking while the heat makes the oak pliable. This is the moment of toasting, when the cooper’s decisions most directly shape the wine’s eventual character.

Once complete, each barrel receives its final touches: a smooth sanding and custom metal finishings. To ensure they won’t leak, the barrels are tested with hot water and pressure before they begin their working life: housing a vintage for two years, often followed by a second. After a maximum of four years in service, the barrels may find new purpose in spirits such as cognac, extending their legacy.

No two barrels are identical—and that is by design. Trouvé works closely with Cathiard’s general manager and winemaker, Justine Labbe, to fine-tune the toasting process. A stronger fire may evoke coffee notes, while a gentler approach suggests vanilla or caramel. Yet Labbe emphasizes that the goal is balance.

“We’re not looking for wine that tastes like one particular flavor,” she says. “The barrel should create harmony, a chorus of flavors that elevate what’s already present in the grapes and soil.”

Bringing Trouvé to Napa was a labor of persistence. Securing the permits, navigating the county’s regulations and arranging his work visa stretched into a four-year process. But for Cathiard, the reward is barrels built with intention, crafted to honor the vineyard’s diverse soils—volcanic, rocky, clay—that already offer distinct character to the grapes.

“The barrel’s role,” Labbe says, “is to lift the wine, to let it shine.”

Until now, Cathiard’s focus has been on red wines. But the future promises new challenges for Trouvé’s craft.

“Next year we’ll release our first white, a Sauvignon Blanc,” Labbe says. “That will mean an entirely different barrel—lighter, with a delicate toast designed for aromatics.”

In a valley renowned for innovation, Cathiard Vineyard has doubled down on tradition, ensuring every sip of wine carries not only the essence of the land but also the quiet artistry of the cooper who shapes it.