Chateau Tour Prignac, Medoc 2010, Bordeaux €12.99 (was €19.99)
Grape is the first answer you would probably give. Or perhaps the yeast, the fermentation method, or the winemaker’s philosophy.
However, if a wine has had contact with oak (new or old) this will have a much greater influence than you might imagine. For example, fine Rioja or Bordeaux would simply not smell or taste like they do without careful use of oak.
Oak is not cheap and adds a significant cost for a winemaker — as much as €650 for a 225L French oak barrel and around €400 for American oak. High-quality oak barrels can add anything up to €4 to the price of a bottle of wine, so oaked wines will never be the cheapest in the shop.
Adding a few oak chips or cubes will give an oaky aroma and a kind of oak flavour (watch for label phrases such as “oak influenced”), but can never add true complexity.
Oak does not just add flavour but allows a wine to breathe, and wine matured in oak regularly needs to be topped up due to evaporation. Maturing or fermenting a wine in a barrel (even an old barrel which has no flavour left to offer) seems to give more even and rounded wines.
I will be examining this subject in detail at the Ballymaloe Literary Festival next weekend using samples from Bodegas Beronia in Rioja who are kindly sending samples of the same wine aged in different styles of oak — details below.
All the recommended wines this week have some oak influence and are all the better for it.
* For the diary: There are a number of fascinating wine, whiskey, and craft beer related events at the Ballymaloe Literary Festival next weekend. For more information and booking visit www.litfest.ie
Oak and its Influence in the Drinks World with Leslie Williams and Ger Buckley of Midleton Distillery. Sunday, May 18, 12pm-1pm.
O’Donovans
Red Bordeaux would simply not be the same without oak and this has lovely cedar and vanilla touches mingled with bramble and plum fruits. The 2010 vintage was one of the best in Bordeaux of the past 20 and this is currently excellent value in O’Donovans. This should keep well for at least 3-5 years if you can afford to buy a few bottles.
No. 21 Coburg Street, Dunnes Stores, O’Sheays Killarney, JJ O’Driscolls Ballinlough, O’Driscolls Cahirciveen.
Predominantly made with Tempranillo this also has 8% Garnacha and a small percentage of Mazuela. Aged in mixed French and American oak for just over a year. Pastry and toasted aromas and a background of vanilla give a subtle warming feeling but allow floral red and black fruits to shine.
O’Donovans, Vineyard Galway, World Wide Wines, Redmonds, McCabes, Nolans Clontarf
Cabernet Sauvignon takes oak as well or better than any other red wine and 40% of this was matured in American oak for 12 months giving a smoke and liquorice aroma and some rich spicy character to the black fruit and also softening out any of the green edges which Cabernet Sauvignon often displays.
Sweeneys Harts Corner, La Touche Greystones, Corkscrew, Fallon and Byrne, Fresh.
A blend of typical Alentejo grapes which are often made without oak but can also take a little enriching with careful use. This is made from peachy Antao Vaz and citrus and mineral flavoured Arinto and Roupeiro. Lightly fragrant with vanilla, spice and tropical fruits — lovely fleshy richness with sweet apples mixed with melon and citrus.
No. 21 Coburg Street, Gibneys Malahide, O’Sheas Killarney, JJ O’Driscolls Ballinlough
A blend of 90% Tempranillo, 5% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo, the latter two being old vines. This has significantly more new oak (mixed French and American oak) which is evident on nose with aromas of vanilla and spice which follow through on the palate along with sweet creamy black fruit.
Thomas Woodberry Wines Galway, Corkscrew, Redmonds
The oak in this Austrian-produced Chardonnay is quite subtle but evident in the creamy vanilla aromas and in the rich mouth-feel. The lingering finish is mostly complex ripe fruit including cantaloup melon and sweet lemons with a touch of washed stones.
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