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Oak tannin
Tannin, oak and mouthfeel
ellagitannin, hydrolysable tannin
Adds firmness and oxidation resistance, with a faint oak signature.
Typical dose
Small, bench-trialled, a fraction of a gram per litre.
When to add it
During ageing, on reds and structured whites.
In practice
Hydrolysable tannins from oak or chestnut give a different grip from grape tannin and a strong appetite for oxygen, so they steady a wine through barrel or bulk ageing. They carry a slight woody note, so they read as a light oaking as much as a structural addition.