|
Wine expert JamieGoode explores the use ofoakin
ageing wine.
Despite their importance in the winemaking process, the positive
effect of barrels was most likely a lucky discovery made hundreds
of years ago: they just happened to be the best way of storing
and transporting liquids, and the fact that they could add
something to the wine was a nice bonus. However, oak’s
accidental association with wine has been a critical one.
The majority of fine red wines are dependent on oak barrels
for a vital component of their flavour, as are a good number
of whites. Without oak, wine. would be quite different. Even
where older, larger barrels, which don’t have such a
direct flavour impact, are used, their ability to allow exposure
of the contents to small amounts of oxygen is important in
the development of the wine.
Why is oak so good for barrel construction? It is strong
and has the capacity to make containers that are water-tight.
But perhaps most significantly, oak has chemical interactions
with wine that can enhance its flavour and structure. That’s
why, in this technological age, barrels still haven’t
been replaced in most wineries. For those who use them, the
choice of barrel is an important winemaking decision, and
skilled producers will be as fussy about the barrels they
use as they are about the condition of their grapes.
 |
Typically, oaks used in barrel production are classified
on the basis of their geographic origin. The first and most
important distinction is between French and American oak.
American oak is a separate species with quite different characteristics
from French oak. Within the category of French oak further
subdivisions are made according to the forest region. The
situation is further complicated by the fact that each cooper
has their own house style. This interplay between oak species,
environment and human intervention makes the science of barrels
pretty complex.
Before oak is used for barrel construction it must be seasoned,
in order to bring its humidity levels into line with the environment
it will be used in, and to allow some important chemical modifications
to occur. This typically takes two or three years. Seasoning
is a bit of a balancing act: you want to leave the wood long
enough, but not too long; it normally takes place outdoors.
Barrels don’t just impart flavour directly. Another
equally important, but less talkedabout, effect of ageing
wine in barrels is that this allows a very slight and controlled
exposure to oxygen. Normally, winemakers do all they can to
avoid exposing their wines to air, but in this case the very
low-level oxidation that barrels permit is beneficial.
Not everyone likes or wants the flavour imprint that new
oak barrels stamp on a wine. While certain styles of wine
have got the stuffing to absorb flavour compounds from new
oak without being dominated by them, many wines are best aged
in secondthird- or even fourth-use barrels.
What sorts of flavours do you get from oak? New French oak
barrels tend to give a spicy, slightly roasted, toasty, smoky
edge to a wine, perhaps with a hint of vanilla. American oak
is usually more obvious, with a pronounced spicy vanilla character,
a distinctive sweetness, and often overtones of coconut. When
oaking is overdone — unfortunately it’s not all
that rare to find over-oaked wines, particularly from California,
Spain and Australia — it actually makes the wine taste
woody.
The best winemakers will aim to use barrels to add complexity
and structure to their wines without it being obvious that
they’ve used new barrels. Many wines will actually declare
what sort of oak regime they have used on the back label,
and you can use this information to help educate you about
the impact of oak. If you want to spot the difference that
barrel ageing brings, it might be worth comparing a Rioja
Reserva (usually aged for a long time in American oak barrels)
with a cheaper, younger unoaked Rioja, and then perhaps a
young classed growth Bordeaux (usually aged in new French
oak barrels). Or try an oaked California chardonnay alongside
a chablis (which will typically be unoaked). These sorts of
experiments will help you decide whether or not you l i ke
the taste of oak in your wine, and even whether your preference
is for French or American barrels.
 |
Despite their usefulness, barrels have some drawbacks, chiefly
that they are expensive and difficult to manage. Increasingly,
oak chips, staves and even liquid oak extract have been used
to give cheaper wines some oak complexity and flavour. The
results are mixed, and rarely replicate the characteristic
imprint of barrels, although research is ongoing and product
quality seems to be improving. Are the days of the barrel
numbered?
|
