Oaky Smelling Barbera

[NorCal]

I did a 30 gallon barrel of Barbera this year. 2nd year American oak used barrel. After 4 months I sensed the Barbera was getting heavy smelling of oak and put it in a 30 gallon flextank that I had open. Taste is really pretty darn good, not an oak bomb like it smells and light on the tannin.

I've got some wine I could blend it with (Zin, Mourvedre), but my hope is the oaky nose will fade over the next 8 months or so. Does anyone know if the heavy oak smell will fade over time?

 

[Julie]

I believe it would. Anything I have oaked has mellowed out in about a year's time.

 

[Boatboy24]

I think it will. I've had a couple wines that I initially thought might be over oaked. 6+ months later, I hardly noticed the oak at all.

 

[ibglowin]

Never worked with that varietal but now have enough data on Syrah to know that it sucks up oak like a sponge and does not want to give it up. I have several blends with 50% or more Syrah and they are oak monsters still and I don't think its gonna fade. The blends with small amounts of the same wine (Syrah) are fantastic however. So blending it out is always a good option if you have the extra wine(s) to do that.

 

[JohnT]

I have found that oak intensity definitely fades over time.

 

[NorCal]

It has been a month in the flex tank and the strong oak nose has definitely faded. Still a bit oaky for me, but I'm liking what I'm smelling and tasting.