Oak

Oak barrels are used to age wines. The barrels are fashioned from the wood of oak trees traditionally grown in either France, Hungary, Slovenia (quercus petraea) or the USA (quercus alba)

European oak barrels will impart a different flavour to American ones, as the tree is different and the grain of the wood is different.

The ageing of wine in an oak barrel allows slow oxygenation of the wine (the wood is permeable) which softens the tannins of the wine and hopefully harmonises the flavours.

Oak barrels that are young or virgin (new oak) impart the most flavour into the wine, and these flavours can range from vanilla, cream, butter, coconut, dill, cardamom, cinnamon, caramel... there's a whole spectrum of flavours!

Oak will also impart some textural elements to the wine, because of the micro-oxygenation that softens the wine, so wines aged in oak will appear rounder, softer and smoother.