TN: 2012 Sandlands Chenin Blanc (USA, California, Sierra Foothills, Amador County)

WINE TALK
21

At the risk of sounding completely stupid…

I was under the impression that the Sandlands wines see only neutral oak barrels, and just wonder where the oak influence is coming from for those of you who are picking up on it so prominently? I mean, obviously it’s coming from the barrel but I’m kind of confused as to why/how supposedly neutral barrels would leave such a heavy imprint?

22

From the Sandlands website: The wine is barrel fermented with native yeasts in 3-5 year old Burgundy barrels and aged on its lees for 15 months with no stirring or racking prior to being bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Go back 5 or 6 years, and most people would be calling that neutral oak. Fast forward to now, and the prevalence of oakphobia makes 3-5 year old barrels like fermenting in a live tree.

23

3-5 year barrels can still hold quite a bit of oak character, especially white wine barrels, which tend to hold wine for a shorter period of time. We’ve got 6-7 year old barrels that still provide significant aromas.

24

Doesn’t change the rise in oakphobia.

25

Imo, the overuse of low quality oak chips/powder in many an inexpensive and/or mass produced wine has contributed greatly to this…often makes otherwise innocuous wine taste like complete crap. Look what happened to the Columbia Crest Grand Estates line in the mid to later 2000s. And I have no words to describe the “oak” flavors found in some of the house label Cabs WTSO & similar sites have pushed over the years…what WTSO did to Havens is just a travesty, a very oaky one.

26

+1

People really underestimate how much flavor and aroma “neutral” barrels can impart to a wine.

27

So how long before you consider a barrel “neutral?” Or is oak always evil?

28

You’re over polemicizing this. Step away from the keyboard.

29

Regardless of the barrels used, I found the oak noticeable and undesirable. I’ve adored the Sandlands reds, and I even liked this Chenin, but I think it would have been better with lesser oak. And I’m not normally overly sensitive to oak, at all. Here is my note from CT:

I liked this but didn’t love it. Lovely nose and really nice waxy texture with an attractive mineral backbone. This is pretty broad shouldered. There is some acidity but it could use a little more, and there is slight marzipan note that perhaps comes form the lees contact. The oak is notable and detracts from the finished product. Nice wine and worth the money but I imagine it can get better with future vintages (87)

30

Maybe I need to use some of these for you? [cheers.gif] [wow.gif] [snort.gif] neener

31

Markus, meet David… neener

32

I’ve had wine out of a 6 year old barrel that had wood aromas and flavors but I don’t know what the outer range is.

Is oak ever evil? Appreciation for the flavors/aromas from oak in wine is rather subjective, no? I personally prefer less, but that is simply a preference. Bourbon on the other hand…

33

Thanks Berry. Mostly just having fun, though I do really wonder about how old wood has to be before it goes totaly neutral. I’ve read notes from people complaining about wood in Riesling when it was stored in 200 year old fuders.

34

I was discussing this with one winemaker (who once worked at ridge) and he said during the maturation process some wine seeps into and out of the stalves of the barrels and that’s how a lot of flavor is imparted. Not sure if its true but if its the case I imagine it could take a long time for flavor to be truly all leached out. Scotch still gets flavor from really really old cognac barrels for example.

35

I’ve had this wine twice, and sad that I only have 2 more. Perhaps I’m more oak tolerant but I did not find it oaky, in fact I liked this wine quite a bit and I often dislike chards that are oaky. Richer than Loire, but a pleasure to drink with crab cakes or other seafood.

36

maybe there’s no such thing as totally neutral? sherries are made with very old oak barrels but VORS and old vintage sherry (known as anada) show some “wood” like notes, albeit barely similar to new oak.

37

I once tried barrel fermented Chenin with steak based on an article I read. Suprisingly it worked!

38

I haven’t had any of my 4 bottles yet, but I think it’s premature to chalk this up to a psychological disorder. Oak and Chenin isn’t always the most flattering match, particularly in a young wine.

39

I am more thinking of general oak phobia rather than it merely being about this one wine. I am not much of an oak fan myself, but oak is less popular than US politicians from what I see around here and the rest of the wine web.

40

I enjoyed this more on the second night. It brought forward more waxy/creamy body to balance the acid, while not losing any of the green apple fruit.