WTN: An overoaked "natural" wine

2008 Guerila Rebula - Slovenia, Primorska, Vipava Valley (11/8/2012)
12,5% abv; Rebula = Ribolla Gialla. 30 day skin contact, so it is a vivid orange colour. Even though they apparently use only used oak, on the first day I found too much oak aromas for this to be enjoyable. Now on day two, this has opened up well and it has really lovely orange/ citrus fruit aromas. Quite rich and soft, not very tannic despite 30 days of skin contact, and still a touch vanillary on the finish. If only this had used less oak, it might have been a lovely orange wine. Even slight obvious oak seem to have been rare in the "natural" wines I've had (and I'm very happy about that), but are there others whose wines have detectable amounts of wood aromas? I need a list of what not to spend my money on if I come across them!

I've had a Guerila wine. Too bad about the oak. I can hardly tolerate oak nowadays. Probably worse in whites though - steals the subtlety.

Bummer and a half, Otto. Do you think that perhaps that it's your previous experience with the idiom (amphora-aged orange wines) makes you particularly sensitive any trace of oak in the orange wines?

Mark Lipton

... - steals the subtlety.

I like that expression as it sums up the negative effects of oak concisely.

Otto,
I am just beginning to work with this grape but I would guess that the wood likely helped to soften the perceived tannin.
This grape is very tannic and the treatment you described would lead one to believe that the wine would be strongly tannic. But oak can influence the formation of longer tannin chains which are perceived in the mouth as softer than smaller chains.
Of course, that does not diminish the aroma/taste intrusion but it may be a partial explanation as to why they used newer oak on this wine.
Best, Jim

Otto,
I am just beginning to work with this grape but I would guess that the wood likely helped to soften the perceived tannin.
This grape is very tannic and the treatment you described would lead one to believe that the wine would be strongly tannic. But oak can influence the formation of longer tannin chains which are perceived in the mouth as softer than smaller chains.
Of course, that does not diminish the aroma/taste intrusion but it may be a partial explanation as to why they used newer oak on this wine.
Best, Jim

According to Darrell, Ribolla is the 2'nd most tannic white wine after Furmint. I would guess that's why the oak.
Tom

Bummer and a half, Otto. Do you think that perhaps that it's your previous experience with the idiom (amphora-aged orange wines) makes you particularly sensitive any trace of oak in the orange wines?
Mark Lipton

Mark,
Not sure if this was an amphora/qvervi-aged wine or not. It could very well just be a skin-contact Ribolla
and never saw the insides of a qvervi. Doesn't sound like it was made in an oxidative style.
Tom

Thanks Jim, that sounds like a good explanation on why oak was used.

Mark, it's not only with orange wines that I'm sensitive; if I smell oak, it means there's too much of it for me even in "conventional" wines.

....if I smell oak, it means there's too much of it for me even in "conventional" wines.

I sure don't mind a dose of oak but if, as Otto points out, it is overly noticeable in the wine (either because the wine is over-oaked or the drinker is overly sensitive), then the wine is, at the very least, out of balance. That would be true for me if any one or more of the component aromas or flavors are prominent, not just oak, although that's a major culprit.

BTW, Jim, the question of oak has come about elsewhere, too, so may I quote you on Rebula's tannins e.g. on my blog and FB page? If that's ok, do I quote you as Cowan or Fl Jim or how?