Term
New oak
noo ohk
Vanilla, toast, and a bill
Barrels that have not held wine before. They leak tannin, vanillin, and toast into the wine. French, American, and Hungarian oak all taste different.
French oak tends toward spice and tighter tannin; American oak toward coconut, dill, and vanilla (classic Rioja). Toast level — how hard the cooper charred the staves — is a recipe. New oak is expensive, which is why it became a status signal.
Neutral oak (used barrels) gives oxygen without the makeup. Stainless and concrete give even less. A wine that tastes more of barrel than of grape is over-oaked, not 'rich.'
If you love the smell of a pencil box and crème brûlée, you love new oak. Say so. It is allowed.
