What Are the Differences Between French Oak, American Oak and Hungarian Oak?
There are many reasons why oak has become the preferred choice when coopering wine barrels. Due to the softness of oak, it only requires minimal toasting and is easy to bend into the traditional barrel shape. Oak is abundant in the forests in France, Hungary and America, and its tight grain offered early winemakers a safe storage medium for holding wine.
The importance of a quality wine barrel cannot be understated. It can determine so many factors for your wine, including the flavour it imparts, the level of tannins, and the level of oxidation. It provides the perfect environment for wine to ferment, creating a creamy and smooth wine.
Hungarian Oak
With oak forests covering more than 20% of Hungary, healthy, tight grained and compositionally desirable oak trees are abundant. Our main supplier of Hungarian oak barrels is Trust Cooperage, which sources its oak from their carefully managed forests located in Hungary’s Zemplén and Mecsek forests. They harvest two different species of oak, quercus robur and quercus petraea providing winemakers with a variety of options to suit their needs. While these species are also found in France, Hungarian oak has many qualities that set it apart.
Hungarian oak is typically favourable for varietal and fruit-forward wines, allowing for a subtle oak characteristic. Ideal for medium-bodied wines including Tempranillo and Sangiovese. It also serves well as an alternative option for Shiraz and Chardonnay, offering flavour hints of butterscotch, vanilla, clove, cinnamon, roasted coffee and toffee.
French Oak
French oak tends to have smoother, more elegant flavours with notes of cedar, cigar, dark chocolate, nutmeg, allspice and crème brulée. French oak is well paired with Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Chardonnay as they soak up flavour more easily than other grape varieties, but may be used across a number of wine grapes depending on your winemaking style.
One of the most important benefits is that the aromas and flavours imparted by French oak barrels do not overpower the grape, but complement it, making French oak wine barrels ideal for a large variety of reds and white.
Classic Oak Products’ French oak barrel suppliers include:
American Oak
American oak is sourced and hand selected from high-quality private tree farms across the United States, including California, Virginia, Missouri, Minnesota and Wisconsin. American oak, or quercus alba, is a distinctive species, carrying unique characteristics not found in European-grown oak.
Quercus alba contains high levels of vanillin, offering more sweeter flavours compared to French or Hungarian oak, with hints of vanilla, caramel and coconut. This oak is perfect for handling grapes with big flavours such as Zinfandel or Primitivo, Grenache and Tempranillo. While American oak is typically known for a looser grain, Demptos Napa provides barrels with a tighter grain than most. A tighter grain provides you with the opportunity to allow your wine to mature for longer, without the risk that it becomes overly oxidised.
Our hand-crafted American oak barrels and adjuncts are supplied from the following brands
About Classic Oak Products
Classic Oak Products has a unique position in the Australian and New Zealand Wine Industries, offering high quality oak products. With over 30 years of expertise within the Australian and New Zealand wine industry, Classic Oak Products are part of the Tonnellerie Francois Freres (TFF) group, supplying barrels made in some of the most prestigious cooperages. We can ensure your wines achieve the structure and complexity you desire through a variety of suppliers.
Our team is local and has in-depth knowledge of, and an appreciation for, the unique challenges present across our regional climates and Australian environment. Get in touch with our helpful and local team to find out exactly how we can assist you with our French, Hungarian, or American oak products.
Craft the balance and structure that your wines deserve with Classic Oak Products.
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