What does ‘Oaking’ mean?

A couple of things happened this week that made me think about this subject. Firstly, a regular customer to the wine bar asked ‘what does a wine being ‘oaked’ actually mean?’ and secondly, we have put the fabulous Vina Salort Tannat/Marselan red wine from Uruguay on offer and going down the rabbit-hole of researching this wine brought me to the related subject of ‘micro-oxygenation’.

‘Oaking’ a wine usually refers to the post-fermentation process of putting wine in oak barrels for a period of maturation that could be weeks, months or years. Oak barrels impart certain flavours and characteristics to a wine that, when managed well and for the right wine, are desirable. These flavours can include vanilla, cedar, toast, coconut and baking spices such as cloves or cinnamon. The exact degree and quality of these flavours is dependent on the wood used, whether they have been charred, their size and importantly, whether they are new barrels or have been used to age a wine before. New oak barrels give wine much stronger flavours than barrels that have been used once or twice before. For gentle oak characteristics, a wine maker might use older oak. For powerful flavours, such as the strong vanilla of a Californian chardonnay, the winemaker uses new oak.

Oak barrels also do something else that is extremely important in wine maturation. They allow small amounts of oxygen into the wine. Oxygen has a profound effect on wine (think of the flavour of a wine that has been open for a week!) Some wines will be rigorously protected from oxygenation to preserve fine, delicate, fresh flavours and for some wines, the influence of oxygen is welcomed. This is particularly true of red wines where aging in oak helps to add complexity such as the Vina Salort tannat and marselan blend we have in now. In this instance, oxygen is particularly useful in softening tannins. Both tannat and marselan are often very tannic grape varieties, sometimes to the point of being undrinkable! Oxygen in the development and aging of these wines is crucial to softening these tannins and developing the rich fruit flavours that we enjoy.

In white wines, oaking is commonly, though not at all exclusively, associated with the chardonnay grape. Chardonnay can be oaked because the grape has a neutral flavour profile and natural structure, allowing it to absorb and benefit from the flavours, textures, and oxygen exposure provided by wooden barrels. As with red wine, chardonnay can be oaked lightly, giving it just a little more roundness and the lightest touch of vanilla, or it can have spent some months in new oak barrels becoming, rich and sweet-leaning with notes like caramel, butterscotch, cinnamon, toasted bread and toasted oats.

So why not explore some of the textures and flavours of barrel aging with one of the suggestions below!?

Vina Salort

 50 % Tannat 50% Marselan

Uruguay

13.5% ABV

£13.59 reduced from £16.99

50% of the wine was aged in American oak barrels for 4 months

Herbal lift with red and dark berried fruits on the nose; the Tannat leads on the palate with a savoury dark fruit character, refreshing acidity from the Marselan complementing and leading to a savoury and appetising finish.

Consensus

 50% Pinot Noir 50% Touriga Nacional

Portuagal

13% ABV

£18.99

Aged in Allier French oak barrels for 14 months

Full-bodied with concentrated fruit flavours of ripe cassis and summer fruits, balanced by rich, smooth tannins, dried fruit, vanilla and baking spice notes.

Azabache Rioja Reserva

 60-70% Tempranillo 20% Garnacha 10-20% Graciano

Spain

14% ABV

£18.99

Aged in oak barrels for 36 months

Intense aromas of ripe plum, blackberry, and mulberry, layered with hints of vanilla, leather, cocoa, and warm baking spices. Powerful but refined and smooth tannins leading to a long finish.

Longbarn

 100% Chardonnay

California, USA

13.5% ABV

£18.99

Aged in French and American oak barrels for 6 months

Bright citrus alongside riper stone fruit and banana, with a note of warm, buttered bread and vanilla from oak. Creamy and rounded, but still delicate, with enough freshness to carry the weight through to a clean finish.