Jacob’s Creek is releasing a new range of premium red wines, finished in whisk(e)y barrels.
The Double Barrel range comprises a shiraz, finished in a Scotch whisky barrel, and a cabernet sauvignon, finished in an Irish whiskey barrel.
Winemakers at Jacob’s Creek sourced aged barrels that had been used to create premium whiskies for up to 20 years, and started experimenting. They discovered that the double barrel finishing process lent additional complexity and texture to wines, but it took two years of trials to get the product ready for release.
“Each barrel performs differently, so it took time to understand the true effect on the wines, and achieve a result that was perfectly balanced,” said Bernard Hickin, chief winemaker at Jacob’s Creek.
“We started with high quality fruit from selected Barossa and Coonawarra vineyards, from which we crafted premium red wine. We then matured the parcels traditionally in French and American oak barrels, before finishing 100 percent of the matured wine in old whisk(e)y barrels.
“We discovered that finishing the wines in aged whisk(e)y barrels introduced additional intricacy and a smoother texture, due to the fundamental differences between barrels made for ageing whisk(e)y, and those crafted to age wine,” he said.
Whisk(e)y barrels are scorched at a high heat which releases their natural wood sugars, while their narrower staves allow for greater oxygen exchange. Over a long period of time, this imparts colour, flavour and sweetness to whisk(e)y. For Double Barrel, Jacob’s Creek used well-aged whisk(e)y barrels, so their influence is subtle.
The Double Barrel range will be on retailers’ shelves from 1 July.
