Winemaking and oak often go hand-in-hand, here we take a deeper check out this complex relationship.
© Yalumba|Yalumba has the only on-site winery cooperage in Australia, and visitors can in some cases take a tour.
When talking oak use in white wine, the conversation normally begins– and ends– at new versus used, with a little bit of barrel size peppered in between. Nevertheless, a barrel’s effect on white wine goes far beyond the simple past usage (or lack thereof) of the vessel, with toast level taking the reins as one of the most crucial elements. Four winemakers around the globe share their ideas on how they set about selecting barrel toast levels, its impact on a white wine’s taste, ageability, and structure, in addition to the unfavorable effects that can arise along the way.
How winemakers pick toast
In the world of barrel toast, not all levels are created equal. Michael Accurso, winemaker at EnRoute, explains that just like wineries, cooperages have a house design– indicating that no two are ever precisely alike. “Each cooperage toasts their barrels in a different method. A medium-plus toast from one cooper is not the same as the cooper down the street,” he states. The best route to consistency? For Accurso, the answer depends on identifying a cooperage’s home toast profile and weding red wines accordingly. Furthermore, Accurso notes that other elements, such as forest, regional classification, and grain porosity of the wood likewise play a big function.
In Sebastopol, Paul Hobbs exposes that there are a “plethora of factors” that are thought about when choosing a barrel. Firstly, recognizing the cooperage’s design is essential, consisting of the art of toasting.”
Toasting is handled through three variables: temperature, time, and humidity,” Hobbs states, explaining that as temperature level and time increase, the sugars naturally present in white oak begin to caramelize through a process known as ‘Maillard Reaction’– which in turn, can produce hundreds of different flavor substances. “The outcome converts a raw, resinous carpenter shop-like oak to a warm, somewhat sweet brioche-like characteristic,” he states.
In 2016, California-based winemaker Jaimee Motley and Rajat Parr started importing Stockinger barrels from its eponymous, little household cooperage in Austria. “Their craftsmanship and quality of wood is exceptional,” states Motley, highlighting the brand’s concentrate on showcasing vineyard websites, and above all, not producing impactful oak aromatics or flavors that mask nature in the white wine. Motley describes that in addition to house design, the majority of cooperages use a common theme from lightest toast to heaviest toast. “In general, the variation in toast levels can be identified by period of time on the flame, the size of flame, and heat from flame,” she describes, stating that the major consider identifying toast choice are the style of white wine being made and the taste buds and choice of the winemaker. “There is no right or wrong, it simply depends on the design that is figured out.”
First things initially: raw materials
Louisa Rose, head winemaker at Australia-based Yalumba winery, is extremely included at the estate’s on-site cooperage program. Rose keeps in mind that when it pertains to identifying factors that influence a barrel– which in turn, influence the wine aged in them– considering raw materials is an excellent place to start. Rose cites types of oak, area and age of the tree, and how long (plus where) the split oak staves were experienced as main starting points, in addition to the size of the barrel, how it is bent, and then lastly, toast level.
“When believing just about toasting, the variables consist of the approach of getting the heat (we burn oak pieces), how hot the fire is, and the length of time the wood is fired for,” she says. Rose explains that using a cooler fire over a longer period of time generally gets the heat and toasting “even more into the matrix” of the oak. On the contrary, a hotter fire toasts the wood quicker, which, as Hobbs states, can lead to charring. In the case of extreme charring– such as that utilized in Bourbon barrels– the wood is burned and blistered to charcoal
“The procedure that we go through to determine the best toast for a red wine, variety, or style is among experience and trial,” she says, equally mentioning that trends and styles likewise contribute, and inevitably, evolve with time. (Note: Rose feels that over the past few years, the level of toasting utilized by winemakers is normally less, as an emphasis has actually moved to showcasing terroir-based subtleties in red wine.)
© Wikipedia|Barrels form an important cornerstone in the winemaking procedure, from production all the way to usage.
How barrel toast impacts a wine’s flavor profile
While Rose cites a gravitation towards lighter toasts, too light of a burn isn’t constantly preferable. Paul Pujol, wine maker at Prophet’s Rock in Central Otago, specifies that when toasted too lightly, barrels can sometimes leave a resin-like character on the wood, which in turn, is imparted on the red wine. “I go with medium toast, which seems to be best for our websites– it’s subtle, offers nice structure, and keeps the fruit in front,” he states. Pujol equally mentions that different sites respond differently to oak levels, so thoroughly figuring out the goal or function of oak use with an offered website is crucial. “Some websites will take loads of oak toast and not be excessively obvious, whereas others can’t manage much at all before the oak dominates,” he says.
Hobbs describes that the method a barrel is toasted is main to how the oak shows up in red wine. “To bring this idea house, consider all the possible variants possible when toasting bread and how the bread changes according to the level of toast,” he provides, likening this procedure to how toast shows up in barrel influence. “Lightly toasted oak is far more considerate, and as the toast level increases, so does its impact on white wine,” he states.
In regards to a tasting note perspective, Accurso cites flavors of vanilla, baking or confectionary spice, mocha, and cocoa as common flavors that can be induced by general oak use– which he considers as “all good things.” More particularly, Rose mentions that tastes of mocha and coffee usually included higher levels of toast, whereas lighter levels of toast impart notes of cedar, spice, and nuttiness. Pujol concurs, finding that heavier toasts move more into the coffee, mocha, and char side of things, and lighter toasts cause notes of spices, pencil shavings, and stogie box. (Pujol equally keeps in mind that selecting to purchase toasted barrel heads– which usually are not toasted– will increase much heavier toast note impact even further.)
Structure and ageability
Rose exposes that toast’s influence on a white wine’s structure and ageability are closely connected, and are probably more dependent on the amount of new oak utilized, in addition to how the barrel is bent.” For instance, wines that we make for aging are most likely to have a higher percentage of brand-new oak, and they are also typically made from fuller-bodied varieties that can ‘deal with’ more new oak effect also,” she states.
Accurso states that tannin implemented into a white wine by means of oak will result in a larger structure and longer ageability, and is also based on the age of the wood, the grain, and the toast. Pujol agrees that toast levels can help provide structure and ageability, though it’s not the be all, end all. “There are a lot of Pinot Noirs I tasted when working in Alsace that were aged in very old, neutral foudre that age wonderfully,” he says.
Following on the tannin discussion, Motley describes that the toasting procedure usually helps eliminate and reduce tannins from the oak; nevertheless, one can gain more oak tannin with low toasts, as the heat has not polymerized the oak tannin. “The length of the time on the flame will figure out how deep the toast is permeated in the wood, which can assist mellow out the wood tannins,” she says. With regards to wine structure, Motley keeps in mind that it is dependent on toast, however, that structure likewise develops from the option of range, vineyard, and vinification. “In my viewpoint, lower toasts will have more ageability than the highest toasts,” she discusses, revealing that the freshness and fruit of the red wine will be preserved with less oak aromatics, which the red wine will have wood tannin supporting it through its advancement.
Furthermore, Rose mentions vintage as another factor that affects the way barrels and wines interact. She reveals that in warmer years, barrels with lighter toast may be used at Yalumba, so as to impart more spice and savoriness to balance the sweetness and ripeness of fruit. On the contrary, in cooler years (and for greater tannin varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon), a medium to greater toast would assist the barrels to impart sweeter attributes onto the red wine.
Pros and cons of toast levels
As with anything, balance is essential– and toast levels are no exception. Hobbs mentions that the vibrant, rich, and buttery design of wines popular throughout the late 1990s was greatly improved by high toast levels. “Heavily toasted, ‘charred’ oak contributes a strong, controling character of its own, often overriding the fruit,” he states. Accurso concurs, specifying that using much heavier toasts on lighter grape ranges can result in masking fruit and overwhelming wine, while utilizing too light of toasts can have little to no impact on a heartier variety. Though on the favorable side, toast levels can help bring wines to life. “Toasts levels can also emphasize fruit or body of white wine making them pop and a lot more dynamic,” he states.
Hobbs also discusses that when pressed too far, the wetness in the oak can be cooked out, triggering carbonization (leading to char) to happen. He exposes that while some enjoy this profile, the style at his eponymous winery is to lean towards lower levels of barrel toast. However, this is simply one of the many factors. “Toast is just one of the variables of barrels that we use to have a positive influence on our wines,” mentions Rose. At Yalumba, Rose regularly utilizes immersion bending, which incorporates soaking the barrel in hot water rather than using fire and steam, followed by long and cooler toasting to impart more subtleness and beauty to the oak impact.
Pursuit of balance
Hobbs specifies that today’s basic oak toast design has actually evolved to one that is a lot more delicately structured and elegant. “To match this design, toast levels are normally in the medium range thus enabling the barrel to be a supporting star, and the vineyard to take spotlight,” he explains.
Above all, Pujol states that understanding why one is using a specific level of oak toast is crucial. “Is it to create a strong and apparent signature or home style element to white wine, or to purely provide the structural assistance the white wine requires?” he considers. In line with Pujol’s focus on understanding the why, Accurso sums it up best, “The perfect toast pairing to your white wine will assist elevate your white wine to the next level.”
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