Sparkling Wine Guide: Oak ageing of sparkling wines

A dash of seasoning: Introducing a tiny percentage – perhaps around 5% – of barrel-aged wine can add an almost imperceptible dash of spicy vanilla richness into a wine without it seeming remotely oaky. At these levels, even fairly new oak can be used subtly, like a loud voice in a large crowd. It’s a bit like salt in cooking; if you notice it, there’s probably more than there should be. 

There are even a few unusual tricks that some producers use, such as oak-ageing the liqueur d’expedition (the mixture of wine and sugar, or dosage, that gets added after disgorgement to most sparklings). 

This is where oak’s natural porosity comes into its own. The profile and intensity of oak flavour changes depending on the source of the oak, how many wines it has contained before, and how much of it is in contact with the wine (larger vessels offer up lower oak to wine ratios, so have less impact on flavour). Most winemakers, though, don’t talk about oak flavour. They talk about micro-oxidation. Whether you’re looking at foudres big enough for a family of four to sit and have a picnic inside, or small 225 litre barrels, oak allows a trickle of oxygen to interact with the wine inside. The tighter the grain and the larger the barrel, the lower the oxygen impact will be per litre of wine. 

The effect? Winemakers that use oak in this way will tell you that their wines are more expressive, complex and open even after relatively short times on lees. By contrast, Sparklings made entirely in stainless steel can come across as very straightforward when youthful, relying instead on lengthier time on lees to build texture and complexity. There’s no right or wrong way, and many producers aim to find a balance between steel and oak (and even concrete or enamel) in just the same way as they might between Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. 

Impact: There’s no denying it; oak flavours can be delicious. There’s something about the toast, the vanilla, the spices, the sheer range of sweet, woody flavours from jasmine to coconut and maple that can sit in the mix so enticingly with Chardonnay and the Pinots as they age in the bottle and after release. The old-school line that oak flavour doesn’t fit with the traditional methos style is now in full retirement.