Winegrowers Supplies
- Use of Barriques and the Types of Oak
A new barrique, intended for storing or fermenting white
wine, can be 'conditioned' before first use to have less oak character.
With red wine the new barrique can be filled immediately.
After a barrique has been used it has to be kept 'green', which means being full of wine (or water containing 300 to 500 mgm/litre SO2) for almost all its life; a month or so empty is ok but if left empty it 'dries out' and the staves shrink so that they are no longer water-tight (or wine-tight), after this they cannot be used as the wood does not expand sufficiently quickly again.
New barriques can be left empty, in a cool cellar, as the staves are close together.
Ageing wine in oak speeds up the maturation process considerably, as well
as imparting unique flavours and tannins to the wine; the most noticeable of which is vanillin.
Barrel ageing is 'oxidative', since molecules of air can percolate through
the wood or the joins between the staves and react with the wine - along with the characteristics of the oak itself.
Bottle ageing is 'reductive' as the amount of oxygen between the wine and
the cork is reduced to zero during the reactions, which takes place at a gentler pace.
American Oak (Tennessee White Oak): Has comparatively large pores and a high vanillin content, so it tends to be used for big, powerful wines and where the wine-maker wants results early. Some wine-makers put their wines into American oak for a short initial period and then move it to a French oak for a second period of ageing.
Limousin Oak: Has much smaller pores and less vanillin, and so offers a slower, gentler ageing process. Finer wines approaching their bottling date will often spend some time in Limousin casks in order to 'polish' them.
Alliers Oak: Has the smallest pores of all, and is the oak used for barrel-fermented wines. The tumults of fermentation takes a good deal out of the barrel, and this could result in oaky flavours that are too strong if the other types of oak are used.
Oak from other regions (e.g. Nevers, Troncais, Vosges, Eastern Europe) may also be found. The basic principle is that oak which has grown in a warmer climate will have larger pores, and oak which has grown in a cooler climate will have smaller pores, with different effects on the wine.
Personally I find that French oak imparts vanilla flavours but little oak taste/aroma.
Prices shown are exclusive of Vat.
Delivery will usually need to be charged at cost.