A recent article in Chem. Eur. J. reveals that castalagin, an ellagitannin found in oak, is extracted into wine and converted to vescalene -- a potent inhibitor of topoisomerase II, an important target for anticancer drugs -- upon aging. This means that oak-aged wine, and most likely wine aged in *new* oak, is going to have greater anticancer benefits than non-oak-aged wine.
So, no more NZ SBs, Chablis or Muscadet for me! Time to break out the Dominique Laurent Burgs and CalChards for my health. Kistler Durrell, anyone? ;-)
On a more salutary note, other topo II inhibitors have been found in all aged wines, regardless of their "barrel program." So, CWDJr and Bill S. should have no cancer worries for the forseeable future.
Mark Lipton (Putting that KJ Chard away for another decade to maximize its health benefits)