| No. There are many types of wood, in all price categories: Hungarian, Russian, Slovenian, German. The most highly sought after are American and French. American oak is fast growing and has a long grain. This results in the wine taking on an overbearing wood scent and a rough, stiff taste. American oak barrels are used a lot in Australian wine production because they speed up maturation which makes the process cheaper. |
|
The most beautiful oak wood originates from Allier in central France. It's sawn from slow growing giants of the forest, the wood of which has a fine, compact grain. This results in a ripening process that is balanced and calm. These Allier barriques give the wine a certain level of nuance and complexity, rather than the hard tannins of American wood. |
