Many of the wine descriptions that I include in my wine tastings make note of a wine being aged in oak. And sometimes there is this added detail: French oak or American oak. For my part, I try to convey that a winemaker’s choice of oak is likened to a chef’s choice of a spice. And, for example, it’s not just a matter of quantity of pepper to use, but what type of pepper. Green peppercorn? White peppercorn? And chefs are sensitive to the nuances that each type will bring to the recipe in play. So, too, the winemaker making a specific choice in oak.
I came across an excellent article delving into the importance of oak choice in producing the wines we love. I am including it below. Yes, it’s a bit long. Please study it carefully. I will ask questions at the next tasting you attend. And you will be graded.
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French Oak v. American Oak. Which barrel makes wine taste better?
Oak barrels have been associated with transporting and aging wine for thousands of years, but for all their ubiquity, not all oak is the same. In fact, the choice of barrel, depending on how long a wine is intended to age in it, can have a massive effect on the final character of wine that ends up in the bottle.
Oak trees grow across a wide swath of the planet, but in winemaking, the two most important sources of the wood are France and the United States. There are significant differences between them, and the ways in which they impact the wine in your glass are many and potentially profound.
“Broadly speaking, winemakers often choose American oak for its bold, toasty impact, richness, and sweeter aromatics, while French oak is preferred for its elegant framing of wine, fine tannins, and respect for varietal expression,” says Nicholas Keeler, North American sales manager for Tonnellerie Allary and owner and winemaker for Authentique Wine Cellars, The Corridor, and Leisure wines in Oregon.
“But within those generalizations lies an entire universe of decisions: cooperage house style, forest of origin, grain tightness, stave seasoning duration and microclimate, stave thickness, wood bending techniques, toasting temperature and duration, and more. Every one of those factors leaves a tangible fingerprint on the finished wine.”
Bruce Devlin, winemaker at Ballentine Vineyards in Napa Valley, agrees. “I believe that tight grain and loose grain are where the differences truly commence, with loose grain contributing more tannins and tight grain focusing more on aromatics,” he says. “The forest has a definite impact, as does the cooper.”
Like in grape sourcing, where the wood comes from and the terroir in which it’s grown has an impact on the final product. “Much like grapes, [trees] can also express their terroir,” says Devlin. “We’ve sourced [American] oak from Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Minnesota. Our French oak has come from all over France, from Vosges to Tronçais and Fontainebleau. We also use a little Hungarian oak on Chenin Blanc. I always like to say American oak is big, bold, and brash; French oak is smoother, more subtle, and luxurious in most cases.”
What makes American oak so special?
“When we talk about oak in winemaking, it’s essential to recognize that not all oak is created equal,” says Keeler. “While several species are broadly referred to as ‘American White Oak,’ Quercus alba is by far the most prevalent species used for wine barrels in the United States.”
That species has a significant economic advantage, says Keeler, noting that it “can be quarter-sawn without risking leakage, allowing coopers to yield nearly twice as many rough staves from a single log compared to French oak.”
That difference in the volume of stave production helps make American-oak barrels generally much less expensive than their French counterparts. And when a winery is aging their reds and whites in dozens or even hundreds of oak barrels each year, the impact on the bottom line can be significant.
American oak also brings a unique set of aromas and flavors to wine, depending on how it’s been toasted or charred.
“American oak is a denser, looser grained, and heavier wood compared to French oak,” says Laura Oskwarek, winemaker for Silver Oak in Napa Valley. “American oak is less tannic, and the aromatic profiles vary significantly with American oak having higher levels of lactones and vanillin. This has the potential to impart more sweet coconut and vanilla aromas in the wine … We find that American oak contributes a creamy, plusher style to the palate.”
What makes French oak so special?
French oak barrels are typically crafted from two different species of oak, Quercus robur, or English oak,and Quercus petraea, also known as sessile oak. Unlike American oak, French staves must be carefully split along the grain in order to ensure they remain liquid-tight. This adds to the cost, which is one reason why French oak barrels tend to be so expensive.
For winemakers who are looking for the character imparted by French oak, there is little to compare. “French oak offers a very different expression,” says Keeler. “Higher tannin content, greater respect for fruit character, and a more structural approach to [aging in the barrel].”
Of course, just like with wine grapes, the microclimate and terroir of where an oak tree has grown will have an impact on its final character. This is why many top cooperages offer barrels crafted from wood sourced from a range of forests.
“In my experience selling barrels and working closely with winemakers, the character of specific forest origins cannot be denied,” says Keeler. “For instance, at Tonnellerie Allary—a cooperage I know intimately—a Chardonnay aged in Vosges oak will show darker notes, whereas the same wine aged in Allier oak will preserve more purity of fruit. Tronçais oak, famed for its fine grain and elegant power, offers a noble richness. Of course, not every winemaker wants or needs to dive that deeply into forest nuance; many prefer to rely on a trusted cooper to deliver a house style aligned with their goals, which is equally valid.”
Ballentine’s Devlin observes that more patience may be required for French oak characteristics to be best integrated into a wine. “French oak arrives swiftly for a brief impact, then requires time to work into and with the wine…[it] has a bit more allure,” he says.
Why a winemaker might choose one over the other
The ultimate character of the wine in your glass is typically a result of the place where the grapes were grown, the ways in which they were farmed, when they were picked, the weather of the vintage, and countless decisions made by the winemaker once the fruit has been harvested. The choice of whether to age a wine in barrel at all—and what type of barrel to use—is one of the final opportunities that a winemaker will have to control the nature of the wine before bottling.
In other words, the choice of barrel is of immense importance.
“There are so many choices a winemaker or producer must make to achieve the style of wine they are trying to create,” says Oskwarek. “The decisions surrounding barrel type are very important. We like American oak because it is a pillar of our brand, and we find that it supports the red fruit expression in our Cabernet Sauvignons while also adding plushness and structure.”
Devlin, on the other hand, focuses more on French oak at Ballentine Vineyards—though he also has a place for the use of American oak.
“It’s really about wine style,” he says. “What we are doing is using all French oak for the Bordeaux varieties, and we only use minimal amounts of American oak for Zinfandel. Some varieties hold more oak, while others require less, as they stand on their own and lose too much of their character to the oak. American oak … has a big impact; it’s the loud guy in the room making sure you know he’s there. French oak is like the guy at the bar who holds the room without saying a word.”
As with so much else in the world of wine, choosing French or American oak is a remarkably complex decision, and one whose impacts can go a long way toward shaping the very nature of a specific red or white. The benefits of both are clear, albeit significantly different.
