Yes, that was it. I agree with Ian re the label. :^P Clever name though - a little play on words.
I was expecting the wine to be quite firmly acidic, which it was, but I'd have liked it to have been bigger and more complex. Maybe I have to try the stuff with the classier label...
Tom S
I can easily believe, Tom, that the interior surface of the oak barrel could be modified during the fermentation. Most trivially, the yeast deposits (the lees) could adhere to the inner surface, hindering the extraction of flavor by the wine. Alternatively, the yeast could actually metabolize some of the flavorants, rendering them more "mellow." Certainly, the increased temperature of a fermenting barrel should promote the extraction of things from the wood.
Mark Lipton
"GrüVe" is Jurtschitsch's most basic Veltliner, always bottled and marketed in November/December of the harvest year. It's an uncomplicated, easy going quaffing wine, one I would order on the terrace of a snack bar, not in a serious eatery. But then prices leap in incredible increments for any wine leaving Austria heading over the pond ... :-(
You should definitely - heads and shoulders above GrüVe!
M.
Yes, but the occlusion of the wood surface isn't too significant except at the _bottom_ of the barrel.
Alternatively, the yeast could
Yes, in situ "fining" by the action of the yeast is certainly significant. That same fining action is believed responsible for precipitation of oxidation products from the so called "brown juice" treatment of the juice (no SO2 at crush).
Certainly, the increased temperature of a fermenting barrel
I doubt that the temperature increase of ~10°F over the course of a week or so amounts to much in that regard. Even if it did, that would merely move forward the time the winemaker deems the wine ready to be moved out of barrel.
Tom S
Another thing to consider is that the insides of many oak barrels are "toasted" and the degree of this heat treatment can have an influence on the taste of the liquid stored therein. The most extreme toasting probably is for bourbon whisky barrels that are heated enough to produce a black charcoal surface on the interior. The charcoal perhaps helps remove some of the trace compounds that make unaged bourbon extremely harsh.
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