Bourbon Barrel Aged Wine: History Made New Again?

By Michael Cervin

Aging wine in bourbon barrels is not a new thing. The practice has been around, though limited, since the late 1800s. These days the resurrection of wine aged in bourbon barrels is promoted as a cutting edge trend, tying into bourbon’s renewed popularity. So does this portend a new wave of wine and bourbon?  We culled four examples. Of note, no one – winery or distillery – likes to discuss where exactly these bourbon barrels come from, so their provenance is a little sketchy.

2015 Robert Mondavi Private Selection Bourbon Barrel Chardonnay ($14)

Chardonnay grapes from Monterey County are pressed and fermented, then a portion of that wine is placed in both new and used bourbon whiskey barrels from Kentucky for two months. On the nose the sweet smoke is subtle, but evident. On the palate the barrel aging is more pronounced, muting and aiding the buttery Chardonnay. You still get the sur lie aging and full malolactic for a creamy viscosity, but the sweeter profile of the bourbon barrels adds a dimension of character that other oaky Chardonnays do not have.

2015 1000 Stories ($20)

The bourbon influence is mild and the more pronounced flavors are of black cherry, blackberry, and plum. The bourbon notes hit the mid and back palate and the finish is where you pick up a slight woodiness, and rounded darker hues. This is an easy fruity wine with a bit of pepper spice and acidity. The wine sits in a combo of new and used bourbon barrels for 1-2 months to accent the Zinfandel. They also support the American Bison Society to help restore bison habitats.

2014 The Federalist Zinfandel ($20)

Petite Sirah and Merlot from Mendocino and are pressed and then aged for six months in bourbon barrels. American oak is typical for Zin, and this has six months of oak aging prior to the aging in bourbon barrels, which adds a judicious component to this wine. It doesn’t register at first, but slowly you can pick up the sweeter vanilla profile and campfire smoke. Thankfully, this Zinfandel avoids the usual jammy, raisin, prune overtones and focuses instead on a more structured balance of black berry, blue berry and boysenberry.

2014 Cooper & Thief ($25)

Three months in bourbon whiskey barrels, there is an immediate relation to bourbon on the nose. Comprised of equal parts Merlot and Syrah, along with Petite Sirah, Cabernet and what they call “other red blenders,” (we’re not entirely sure what they are), this is nearly syrup-like in terms of thickness and viscosity. The bourbon is more pronounced than the other wines and it drinks more like a cocktail with deeper hues of black cherry, amber, blackberry and sweet vanilla smoke, along with a slight burn. The resulting wine is nearly Port-like, and not at all like La Sicilyana, but certainly fun to consume.