he Bartons respect tradition but do not ignore progress. A modern de-stemmer and the latest wine press have been introduced for the vinification. Generally fermentation lasts about five days during which the juice is pumped over twice daily. The wine is left with the skins for two weeks approximately but this depends on the quality of the crop. The wine is then drawn off and the skins are pressed, thereby obtaining the " vin de presse " which is an important component in the final blend. The malo-lactic fermentation takes place in the vats, after which the wine is aged in oak barrels for 20 months before bottling.