JACOB’S CREEK, Australia’s biggest wine brand, has released two new red wine varieties in Thailand that have aged whisky barrels to thank for their unique flavour.
Double Barrel Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon have been finished in used wood whisky barrels to give them extra depth and taste. The wine goes through two types of treatment, hence the “double barrel” name. They are first aged in traditional wine barrels, typically French or American oak, before being finished in aged whisky barrels, made from American oak, which has been scorched inside to give the whisky its beautiful colour, sweetness and texture.
The “double barrel” project started four years ago with experiments on different varietals, regions and casks to find the right combinations and the optimum length of time for secondary maturation. Primarily focusing on red wines, the team found the full, rich fruit profile of the Shiraz from Barossa paired well with the “savoury saline assertiveness” of Scotch barrels, while the Coonawara Cabernet Sauvignon was better suited to the softer, smoother Irish whisky barrels.
The brand also produces a Shiraz Cabernet blend finished in Scotch barrels for the domestic market, but it has decided to focus on the Shiraz for export markets. Currently about 100,000 bottles are produced.
In making the selections, the temperature is carefully controlled during fermentation to ensure optimal color, tanning and flavour extraction. The wine is then matured in traditional wine barrels for 12 to 18 months then matured in old American white oak barrels that have previously matured Irish whisky. The barrels are kiln-dried and scorched to allow greater oxygen exchange. This softens the tannins in the wine and adds fullness and richness.

The Double Barrel Shiraz 2013, now in its second release, is made from selected fruits that were particularly rich dense and full bodied to allow additional ageing is whisky barrels without compromising style or quality.
Scotch whisky barrels are used in the finishing as they are a match for the rich intensity and dense tannins of Barossa Shiraz. The dense crimson with purple wine is a heady mix of spice, dark chocolate and fruit cake.
On the palate, Double Barrel Shiraz is dense, smooth and layered with full, generous flavours of classic Barossa Shiraz. This yields prominent dark chocolate with subtle toasty notes that are derived from French and American oak wine barrels.
The wine is best matched with slightly charred white meat and fish, as well as red meat such as beef and bacon.
The Double Barrel Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 uses only ripe and muscular fruits to ensure high, pronounced tannins that stand up to additional ageing without compromising quality. Also in its second release, the wine is slightly lighter coloured than the shiraz and the fruit is less fragrant. It has prominent dark fruit flavours alongside subtle toasty characters, while the fine, soft tannis deliver a pleasant tastIdeal with lamb and grilled vegetable, it can be enjoyed now or saved for later for more stylish length.acob’s Creek is one of Australia’s leading wine brands, offering quality contemporary Australian wine styles with decent varietal expression. Launched in 1976, the brand has successfully moved a long way beyond the Australian staples of Cabernet, Shiraz, Chardonnay and Riesling and ontroduced the many new additions of recent years, including the lower alcohol Cool Harvest range, the “unashamedly sweet” Twin Pickings wines, the Earth Vine Grape organic wines, as well as Wah and Lamoon, the new wines specifically tailored respectively to Japanese and Thai cuisine repectively.