A Napa Valley cooper discusses the effect oak barrel ageing has on wine.
A new French oak barrel made from wood from the forests of Allier, Troncais, Nevers, Vosges and Limousin will set you back about $750. And you will need a forest of them to service your modest winery. They will last three years before losing their primary "new oak" influence.
What is the benefit of aging wine in these luxury barrels? We found a Napa Valley cooperage that supplied a galaxy of answers.
First, when it comes to new wine barrels, there are three issues to consider. What kind of oak (French, Hungarian, American, other)? What size (smaller will leave a stronger impression)? What degree of toast (light, medium, heavy)?
World Cooperage in Napa Valley informs us of five distinct flavor categories various kinds of oak contribute to wine.
Oak barrels are toasted with an open flame to three degrees of toast: light, medium, and heavy, depending on the desires of the winemaker to impart more or less of the oak influence on the wine.
World Cooperage finds seven categories of flavor that can result from toasting the barrel:
SWEET: Brown sugar, Bourbon, Cotton Candy, Chocolate, Maple Syrup, Butterscotch, Hot fudge, Caramel, Molasses, Honey, Toffee, Soy.
One might wonder, with this plethora of flavoring possibilities, who needs the wine? And might a new French oak barrel turn an ordinary wine into a seven course dinner? One might think so. But, no. The fact is that a specific barrel brings out only a few noticeable, individual flavor characteristics in a given wine.The choice of barrel and toast is one of the most important decisions a winemaker makes. For example, if he chooses a new French barrel with heavy toast to age his strongly varietal Syrah in, perhaps the contributions of the barrel will underscore the meaty characteristics inherent in the varietal.On the other hand, any light white wine, such as a Sauvignon Blanc, will be profoundly altered when put into contact with any new oak barrel. Some will prefer the rounder, creamier character. Others will miss the sharper, fresher character than unoaked Sauvignon Blanc delivers.Even Chardonnay can be done with or without new oak. Or with older, more neutral oak. New oak will contribute sweetness, vanilla, almond, and yeasty notes - much prized by many consumers. But unoaked Chardonnays showcase the varietal characteristics of Chardonnay fruit and may represent a style closer to the Burgundian model which has traditionally been aged in fairly neutral oak.
The copyright of the article The Effects of Oak Barrels on Wine in New World Wine is owned by Alan Boehmer. Permission to republish The Effects of Oak Barrels on Wine in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
