Some wine afficionados are anti-oak chip, because they believe that the taste of oak over-powers the fruit, acidity and character. However, each French Oak barrel costs about $1,000 which can translate to a wine that's expensive. After all, you only get about 300 bottles out of one barrel.
In the picture above, you see bags of French oak chips that can be bought for about $75 a bag. They can be dropped into stainless steel tanks like the one showed above and boom! You have some oak flavor. Since some wines like Merlot can have green vegetable aromas like artichokes, oak can do a good job masking some of the unwanted characteristics. Think of a slightly flawed surfer with a cool-colored wetsuit. Nevertheless, I appreciate both people and wine for their flaws.
In the picture below, you have neutral oak barrels (ones that have been used many years) that have had French Oak staves added to them. I remember the wine director at Casanova joking about designing an un-oaked Chardonnay bottle that comes with an oak tea bag. You can seep the bag until the desired flavor is reached. Has anyone done that yet? Would that even work?
I think it's funny that people are anti-oak chips. The other night, when I was working my sommelier job, I was able to taste some expensive Chateuneuf du Pape and was completely underwhelmed for how much they cost.
1990 Chateau Rayas - the texture was nice and there were slight nuances of strawberries, but I wouldn't be able to drink a single glass. This expensive bottle is likely to cause someone to quit drinking. Seriously.
1989 Chateau Beaucastel - I had high expectations for this one, but was bummed. Slight strawberry, tobacco and truffle but really over-the-hill. There were hints of dead mouse (brett) and vinegar (volatile acidity).
I guess I don't like Chateauneuf? I did have an 85' Vieux Telegraph that knocked my socks off, but I don't normally like the older ones. They seem baked and port-like in a bad way.
To make a long story short, expensive wines can be aged in French Oak and totally suck. Moreover, I like being able to buy a bottle of oak-aged wine on the regular. If it's an every-day beverage that's meant for immediate consumption, bring on the chips. Just know what's really going on.
Here's what Arturo Salazar, friend and certified sommelier, had to say about this blog post, "Hey big dog, Just read your oak article, totally agree with the chips , but Chateau Rayas, I thought uses neutral barrels and Beaucastel just a tiny bit of new oak. hit me back."
ReplyDeleteYou may be right Arturo, but my point was French oak is expensive. Even if they use that same barrel for several years until the barrel becomes neutral, $1,000 is expensive. Good job keeping me on my toes though. I will have to find out what those folks are doing. Next time, post a comment on the blog site. Congratulations on passing your sommelier certification!