Wooden barrels allow a degree of oxidation that can mellow a wine and enabled it to evolve well in the future, acting on the characteristic of tannin and its organisation : polymerisation. Some loss occurs through evaporation and wine in barrels, even when kept in a relatively humid environment, must be topped occasionally with more wine.
Wine can be aged in barrels of oak or other woods to impart and mature structure. Wooden barrels leech tannins into wine and can also impart "smoky" flavors if the barrels have been toasted, short of actual charring.
Different wood species from different forests impart differing flavors and to a degree of strength depending upon the age of the barrel, relative to how much use it has seen.
The average barrel are used for three years. As long as they remain watertight and uncontaminated by spoilage bacteria or yeast, older barrels are "neutral" in terms of imparting flavors, although the porosity of the wood does allow a slow exchange of oxygen that mellows wine to some degree.
The newer the barrel, the stronger the oak flavor. Action of air and flavour extraction can also vary, depending on the manner of cooperage.
In Languedoc and Rhône valley, the trends is to use less and less brand new kegs, wine « education » in done with ¼ of new barrels, ¼ of one year barrels, ¼ of two years barrels and ¼ of three years barrels (or from neutral concrete or stainless steel tanks).
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