2.3 Bordeaux Winemaking Flashcards
What controls the levels of sorting?
The value of the wine and the quality of the vintage
What are the sorting options for high quality wines?
Hand harvesting in the field. In the winery: By hand vibrating belt optical sorting
When can the best estates perhaps decide to skip sorting of grapes?
In excellent vintages since the grapes quality is so great that the manual sorting done by hand harvesting is considered enough.
What is the trend in high quality winemaking when it comes to picking and what are the additional costs for this?
Plot by plot winemaking. Adding care and workforce for harvest dates and also more ans smaller vessels in the winery.
How is most red wines made?
Fermentation in closed vats with pump-overs.
Cultured yeasts.
Wood, steel or concrete used for fermentation and all are fitted with temp control.
What aspects decide the fermentation temperature and extent of post-fermentation macération for red bordeauxs?
The style of the wine and the quality of the vintage.
What does mid-range fermentation temp and short period on the skins 5-7 days result in?
Wines intended for early drinking to preserve primary fruit and limit tannin extraction.
What does mid-ranged to war fermentation temp and total 14-30 days of skin macération result in?
Powerful reds with longe age-ability.
What can force macération times post fermentation to be shortened?
Poor vintage with unripe fruit.
What are the preferred presses in bordeaux and why?
Pneumatic
Vertical
Hydraulic
They give the gentlest extraction.
Why is malolactic conversion on barriques preferred?
It gives a better integration of wine and wood.
Why can the malolactic conversion sometimes be inoculated and how is it done?
In order for the wine to be as drinkable as possible after one year when journalists and buyers do the en primeur tastings.
Can be encouraged by heating the cellars.
What is the common practice for ageing when it comes to simple bordeaux?
Steel tanks, concrete vats or large vats for 4/6 months. Addition of oak chips may be added.
How is high quality bordeaux often matured?
In French oak barriques. Some prestigious use 100 percent new barrels but most do a mix of first, second and three year old barriques. Usually 18-24 months with racking every three months.
Why do some winemakers prefer to not perform racking while barrel aging?
They prefer the micro-oxygenation from the lees to replace the oxygenation occurring by racking.
What sort of oak barrels are usually used?
French barriques from different barrel makers to give the wines complexity. Usually barrels are medium to medium plus toasted.
What are the two approaches to blending?
Most estates blend over winter, especially if the wines will perform in an en primeur tasting.
A minority blend a few months before bottling.
Usually wineries have a blending consultant, the top estates often have the same consultant.
What types of rose are made in bordeaux?
The deeper coloured Clairet and a lighter coloured.
What are the main rose variétés?
Merlot and CS
How was clairet traditionally made and how is the modern light rose usually made?
Traditionally by saignée method or by short maceration from young vines. Today direct pressing.
When is white wine usually pressed and what does it do flavour wise?
Either straight away (maximum freshness) or after maximum 24 hours of skin contact (aromatic and phenolic complexity)
What white wines are generally fermented in cool temp in stainless steel tanks?
Early drinking
Inexpensive which remains a few months in tank, than clarified and bottled.
Mid priced which can be sur lie for 6-12 months to add complexity.
How is higher quality white bordeaux made?
Fermented and aged in barriques with varied proportion of new oak. Many block malo and apply battonage.
What is the risk with using battonage?
It can in hot years give wines excessive body in relation to lvl of acidity.
