Concrete wine tank
Concrete wine tanks are heavy, fixed vessels in rectangular, cylindrical and tapered forms. Their thermal response and wine contact depend on mix, wall construction and interior finish.
Equipment · Tanks and vats
Concrete egg
Ovoid concrete wine vat · Concrete wine egg
A modern ovoid concrete wine vat with smooth curved walls, made in several sizes and fitted according to model. Used for wine fermentation and maturation; support, access, cooling and interior treatment vary.
History and scope
The concrete egg is a modern wine vat, not an ancient clay amphora. A 2019 account dates Michel Chapoutier's design work with French vat maker Nomblot to 2001. Older egg-shaped vessels existed in other materials, but their histories do not make this concrete design ancient. Today, specialist makers in France and the United States offer distinct concrete models, while wineries use them alongside steel and oak.
Form and model variation
A concrete egg is a freestanding, vertically elongated ovoid tank with smooth curved walls and no sharp interior corners. The photographed King Estate example has a small top hatch, a low circular stainless clean-out fitting and an integrated footed support. That model was reported at 476 US gallons, 8 feet tall and 2.36 tons; these figures belong to that Sonoma Cast Stone unit, not to every concrete egg. Current manufacturers list models from compact 5 hL eggs to 38 hL versions, with custom fittings, supports, finishes and optional cooling varying by product.
Sources for this section
Wine contact and circulation
Concrete's mass changes how quickly the vessel responds to cellar temperature, and the ovoid profile has no corners where liquid can settle in the way it might in a square tank. Winemakers and makers describe heat-driven circulation and lees suspension as advantages. These should be treated as process-dependent claims: the actual temperature gradient, fill level, wine and vessel construction matter, so the outline alone cannot promise self-stirring or a particular texture. The tank may be used for fermentation, maturation or both, depending on the model and the winemaker's plan.
Sources for this section
Material, handling and care
Concrete recipes and interior treatments vary. Œuf de Beaune describes its own mix and publishes model-specific mass, volume and dimension details; other manufacturers may use different concrete, surface treatments and fittings. In a 2021 replicated Sauvignon Blanc comparison, 450 L oval concrete vessels without an inert lining showed the highest pH and lowest titratable acidity among the tested vessel groups. The study's authors considered the differences small relative to normal white-wine variability, and the result does not represent every concrete egg. Check wine-contact specifications and obtain the selected maker's exact installation, start-up and cleaning protocol. Several listed models weigh multiple tonnes when filled, so use their actual loaded weight in planning handling and placement.
History
A 2019 Decanter account dates Michel Chapoutier's design work with French vat maker Nomblot to 2001. Current maker catalogues and winery reports document continued production and use; this does not date ancient egg-shaped vessels made from other materials.
Equipment details
Capacity500–3800 L The inspected manufacturers list examples from 5 hL to 38 hL; this is an observed product range, not a universal capacity limit.
SizeDimensions are model-specific. Œuf de Beaune lists its own models at 160–245 cm high; King Estate reported one distinct US-made example at 8 ft tall. No single size describes all eggs.
PowerNo power The vat is passive. Sonoma by SAS advertises optional embedded cooling; cooling equipment is not inherent to all eggs.
How you get oneBought, manufactured Produced by specialist manufacturers in standard and made-to-order versions. Model, finish, fittings and delivery/installation arrangements must be confirmed with the maker.
CareObtain and follow the exact manufacturer's start-up, cleaning and installation instructions for the selected concrete mix, interior treatment and fittings. Œuf de Beaune advertises guided installation and a start-up/cleaning protocol; the sources reviewed do not establish one universal cleaning agent or pre-use treatment for all eggs.
Made of
- Concrete — Vessel body
Concrete composition and interior finish vary; the mix described by Œuf de Beaune is specific to its products. - Stainless steel — Access and fittings on some models
Visible on the King Estate model photo; fittings differ by maker and model.
Risks and precautions · Standard risk
Heavy filled vessels
Œuf de Beaune lists individual models weighing 1.5–3.8 tonnes empty and 2.3–6.8 tonnes loaded; these figures show that exact-model lifting and support planning matter.
Hazard sourceConfirm the exact model's empty and filled mass and use the manufacturer's installation guidance when planning handling and cellar placement.
Control sourceLimits
A replicated 2021 Sauvignon Blanc trial used 450 L oval concrete vessels and found the wines from that uncoated concrete condition had the highest pH and lowest titratable acidity among the tested vessel conditions. The authors describe the measured differences as small relative to overall white-wine variability; this result does not establish the behavior of every egg or of lined models.
Source →Winery explanations of circulation and lees suspension describe observed or expected effects, not a universal performance guarantee.
Source →Places
Burgundy
Manufacture · Region evidenceŒuf de Beaune says it produces its concrete vats in Burgundy; this is one maker's manufacturing location, not a universal origin.
United States
Manufacture · Country evidenceKing Estate identifies its 2017 concrete egg as manufactured in the United States by Sonoma Cast Stone.
Oregon
Documented use · Region evidenceKing Estate documents the installed egg at its Oregon winery; no more precise location is needed for this use claim.
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Sources
DecanterHistory · Form · Comparison
Concrete eggs in the winery – ask DecanterReports that Michel Chapoutier designed a concrete egg with French vat maker Nomblot in 2001, distinguishing the modern concrete design from ancient egg-shaped vessels made in other materials.
Describes 6 hL and 16 hL models in the reported early design and presents circulation and thermal stability as winery explanations rather than universal guarantees.
Cited in: History and scope; Wine contact and circulation
King Estate WineryDocumented use · Model specification · Reference photograph
Concrete Egg Wine Tank ArrivesReports a concrete egg by Sonoma Cast Stone installed at King Estate, Oregon, in 2017 for white wine; that model was reported as 476 US gallons, 8 ft high, with 7 in walls, weighing 2.36 tons.
The winery describes concrete porosity and natural convection as its observations about the vessel; those claims are scoped to its model and use.
Cited in: History and scope; Form and model variation
Œuf de BeauneManufacturer · Product range · Manufacturing geography
Œuf de Beaune – Concrete egg wine vatsManufacturer based in Burgundy describes concrete vats for vinification and ageing of white, red and rosé wines, production in Burgundy and four models with nominal capacities from 6.5 to 30 hL.
The manufacturer advertises ovoid shape and thermal inertia as its own design claims.
Cited in: History and scope
Œuf de BeauneProduct specification · Care and installation context
Our modelsMaker describes its own mix as limestone, clay, sand and gravel with spring water, and lists custom fittings including thermometer, drain, integrated coil and temperature-control connections.
The maker lists four specific model volumes, dimensions and empty/loaded weights and advertises guided installation and a start-up/cleaning protocol; these specifications apply to its own models.
Cited in: Form and model variation; Material, handling and care
Œuf de BeauneManufacturer design explanation
The conceptManufacturer states that its ovoid vats have no angles and that temperature changes in a cellar can resuspend lees; its language describes the maker's claimed mechanism rather than a universal result.
Cited in: Wine contact and circulation
Sonoma by SASManufacturer · Product specification · Comparison
EGG – 18 hL concrete wine tankManufacturer currently lists an 18 hL EGG and 5 hL MINI EGG, a 38 hL SUPER EGG, and advertises optional embedded cooling and adjustable supports; these show contemporary model variation, not universal fittings.
Manufacturer describes the ovoid form as encouraging circulation; that claim is attributed to the product maker.
Cited in: Form and model variation; Wine contact and circulation
Molecules (MDPI)Experimental comparison · Limits
Chemical and Physical Implications of the Use of Alternative Vessels to Oak Barrels during the Production of White WinesA replicated trial with 450 L uncoated oval concrete vessels, oval polyethylene tanks, clay jars and cylindrical stainless tanks fermenting the same Sauvignon Blanc juice found the concrete-condition wine had the highest pH and lowest titratable acidity among the tested groups.
The paper reports differences small relative to white-wine variability and discusses mineral release from uncoated concrete; results are specific to that wine, vessel set and process.
Cited in: Material, handling and care