What do they mean by oakey wine?

What do they mean by oakey? Are you a lover of oakey wine? What does that even mean? When a wine is described as ‘oakey’, it simply means that it has been matured in contact with oak, usually in a barrel. The wine may even have been fermented in an oak barrel as well. During this time in oak, the wine develops delicious aromas and flavours of toasted oak, vanilla, or baking spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg. Even coconut. When it is done well, these wines are simply amazing. 

Are all wines oaked? 

Not all wines have contact with oak. We love many wines, more typically white wines, for their fresh and bright fruitiness! A character that is usually preserved by fermentation/maturation in stainless steel. However, that is not to say that just red wines are made with time in oak. Red, white and rosé wine can all spend some time in oak, and we love them! 

Rich and bold 

It is not just the aromas and flavours that are enriched by time in oak. Wines matured in barrels develop a silky texture thanks in part to the interaction with the oxygen in the barrel or tank. This is particularly true with red wine. This time in the barrel means that the tannins become luxuriously softer and smoother. Furthermore, your wine will take on a richness depending on how much time it has spent in new oak. Especially, if while in that barrel your wine has also gone through MLF, or malolactic fermentation that is. MLF softens the acids in the wine and enhances that sense of rich, smoothness even more. 

It is not all about the rich ones though ... 

How rich a wine is, usually red or white, really does depend on the winemaker’s vision on what is the best showcase for their grapes. A winemaker may use barrels that have been used before (even up to four or more times) just to add the barest hint of oak or to get that silky texture with very little added in the way of oak flavour. 

Alternatively, they may use a very large barrel to mature their wine. Therein lies the skill. Like an artist layering paint to produce a masterpiece. Rosé wine is a great example. Generally rosé wine is all about the refreshing character with irresistible fresh berry fruit. Some of these wines will be spend a short time in oak, matured in ‘old’ or ‘seasoned’ oak, or only have a small portion of the wine matured in oak. These rosé wines are silky and soft in the mouth, take on a pinch of spice but still retain their freshness. It will be very different for that big rich red wine that has 18 months in brand new oak. In reality, every wine lover has their preferred level of ‘oakiness’. Some wine lovers will love the richness, some wine lovers love fresh fruit characters unfettered by oak. Of course, there is a whole bunch of us in between too.