Oak / Oaky

(see also: Amphora, Barrique, Cask, Halbstück)

Oak casks or barrels were the invention of the indigenous population of the Mosel Valley and were adopted for winemaking by the Romans during their occupation of the region. Before that amphora were the main vessels for making, maturing and storing wines. At Gut Hermannsberg we use 600 liter oak casks called Halbstück for maturing many lots of our GGs, but these casks are neutral and don’t give the wines an obvious oaky taste like barrique casks do. Our cellar team likes them for the micro-oxidation they give the wine. This slowly develops the wine’s aromas and can also help smooth off the rough edges that embryonic wines often have.