Ageing and Maturation Flashcards
What is ageing?
The time a wine spends in bottle prior to being released to the market
What is maturing?
Refers to the time spent in a vessel e.g. oak, stainless steel, amphora etc.
What is a reductive vs oxidative maturation environment?
Reductive refers to not enough oxygen exchange during maturation. Oxidative refers to too much oxidation exchange during maturation
How does exposure to oxygen change the molecular structure of a wine?
Degrades aromatic molecules of terpenes and thiols, increases bacteria e.g. lactic acid
How many ppm of oxidized wine can the average human detect, what is the ideal ratio of oxygen particles in a wine?
Can detect 8.6 parts per million, ideal is up to 6ppm
What are the 4 effects of inoculating oxygen?
- Increase colour intensity
- Lower perception of unripe characteristics
- Soften tannins and increase texture
- Integration of woody notes
What are the 4 main contributions of oak to wine maturation?
- Adds flavour
- Adds tannins to a wine (200mg/litre)
- Allows the slow integration of oxygen
- Provides a suitable environment for certain metabolic reactions (e.g. Malo)
How long does it take for american and french oak trees to mature?
American - 20 years
French - 30 years
What are the scientific names for the 2 main types of oak used in winemaking?
Quercus Alba (American oak)
Quercus Petrea (European oak)
Oak used in barrels contain what percentage of water?
12-18%
How long will a lightly toasted vs heavily toasted barrel spend being toasted?
Light toasting - roughly 25mins
Heavy toasting - an hour
How many litres does a bordeaux vs burgundy barrel hold?
Bordeaux - 225L
Burgundy - 228L
What is “Angel’s share”?
Refers the the wine lost due to evaporation during its time in barrel
When a winemaker tops up a barrel due to angel share, what is the name of the wine added?
Ullage
What is the biggest factor that will determine the amount of wine lost to angel’s share?
Humidity, heat
