France - South France Flashcards
How are red wines typically made in the Roussillon?
Either pressing and maceration on the skins, or carbonic maceration.
For rosé winemaking in Provence, what is the low colour closely related to?
The low level of colour in the skins of the common varieties - Grenache Noir, Cinsaut and Tibouren.
A small amount of white varieties are also permitted in AOC regulations: up to 20% (though rarely used, and if so its up to 10% that can also be used to reduce alcohol levels.)
How is rosé typically made in Provence?
Direct press (now the most common option) or short maceration (a few hours).
Musts are typically acidified to achieve a good balance between fruit and acidity.
For the best quality, fruit is handled protectively by chilling it to 4°C, which reduces the rate of oxidation, then by excluding oxygen with the view to retain the fruity aromas and preserve the pale colour.
How is protective winemaking easily carried out in Provence?
Bucher Vaslin developed a specialised press trademarked Inertys, to eliminate oxygen in the press.
What are the advantages of hand harvesting and pressing whole bunches for rosé production in Provence?
• Less stress on the grapes during harvest, especially is picked at the coolest time (4am onwards)
• Fruit can be sorted in the vineyard
• Whole bunch pressing is gentler, extracting fewer solids and phenolics
• More juice is produced at lower pressure due to the presence of stems which create channels for the juice
What are the advantages of machine harvesting and short maceration or hold in the press for rosé production in Provence?
• Fast
• Significantly cheaper than hand harvesting
• Doesn’t require a large workforce
• Grapes can be picked at night
• Shortest possible delay between picking and refrigeration and/or pressing.
What are the disadvantages of machine harvesting and short maceration or hold in the press for rosé production in Provence?
• Requires and up-to-date, well-maintained machine and skilled driver
• Grapes are destemmed by the shaking mechanism of the machine making whole bunch pressing not an option
• Destemmed Grapes require a higher amount of pressure to extract the same amount of juice as whole bunch pressing.
What are the disadvantages of hand harvesting and whole bunch pressing for rosé production in Provence?
• Requires a large, well-trained picking team to select and harvest correctly
• It’s becoming increasingly difficult to find and retain labour
• Labour may not be available early in the morning
• Hand harvesting is more expensive and slower
• Whole bunch pressing is more time-consuming as fewer bunches can be loaded into the press at any one time.
What are typical winemaking options for Provence rosé?
Stainless steel tanks.
The choice of cultured yeasts for a consistent fruity style and for getting the fermentation off to a fast start without developing and off-flavours (most common option) or ambient yeasts.
Temperatures of 14-18°C to preserve delicate primary fruit but avoid the banana aroma associated with low temperatures.
Wines have to be fermented to dryness (AOC rules).
MLC is blocked to retain acidity and preserve primary fruit.
If the colour of wine is deeper than desired it can be reduced by fining.
Wines are typically stored for a short period (2-3 months) on the lees in stainless steel containers before being bottled. Some producers choose to keep on the lees for 8-10m for added texture.
Some producers make an oak-aged premium rosé, eg, Château d’Esclans.
