Ohio wine importer David Schildknecht, a frequent and valued contributor to these pages, has made the following comments on my recent-ish article on oak. My original comments are in italics. His veer between excited CAPITALS and regular type.
Cheaper barrels made from under-seasoned wood that has been dried fast in a kiln rather than slowly in the open air are, I am convinced, responsible for the huge proportion of wines on the market today that seem to have had the fruit knocked out of them by harsh, green-flavoured oak.
INDUBITABLY!
I often wonder whether French coopers, masters of...