Red/Rose Winemaking Flashcards
What are the 4 cap management techniques?
Punching down
Pumping over
Rack & return - draining juice from vessel into another vessel, leaving the cap behind, then pumping back over the cap
Rotary fermenters - tanks rotate horizontally to keep the juice in motion
Which cap management techniques are also used to dissipate heat?
Pumping over
Rack & return
Describe the winemaking process for high-volume, inexpensive red wines.
- Usually from warm, sunny, and dry regions
- Cab Sauv, Merlot, Syrah, & Grenache: concentration of colors, tannins, and flavors in skin mean high yield still has fruity flavors
- Wines have less color, lighter tannins, less intense/complex aromas
- Specific characteristics of the grapes disappear
- Grapes de-stemmed and crushed (exceptions: Grenache and Gamay)
- Post-fermentation maceration uncommon
- Cap usually left unworked (or not heavily worked)
- Usually matured in SS or concrete (if oak is used, usually 2nd or 3rd fill)
- Typically stabilized, fined, and sterilized before bottling
Describe winemaking techniques for premium Cabernet Sauvignon.
- Usually de-stemmed and crushed (stems have astringent character and herbaceous notes)
- Fermentation temp ranges from 26-30°C
- High temps and cap management techniques avoided at end of fermentation
- Oak maturation common (often French Oak w/ 255 liter barriques)
- Maturation for 6 months to 3 or 4 years. 12-18 months typical
- Blending common to soften tannins and gain body
Describe winemaking techniques for premium Merlot.
- Can be international style or Bordeaux style
- Grapes de-stemmed and crushed
- Pre-fermentation maceration can be used to extract more color and flavor
- Oak maturation (in new oak) common
- Maturation for 12-18 months typical
Describe the international style of Merlot.
Late harvest, intense purple color, concentrated black fruit, velvet tannins, new oak
Describe the Bordeaux style of Merlot.
Early harvest, medium body and alcohol, higher acidity (than international style), fresh fruit aromas, vegetal leafy notes
Describe winemaking techniques for premium Pinot Noir.
- Sometimes de-stemmed and crushed + pre-fermentation maceration used to maximize color and flavor extraction
- Sometimes proportion of whole bunches added to enhance red fruit and floral characteristics (if added, they are gradually crushed by punch down)
- Common to ferment above 30°C to extract more color, flavor, and tannin for longer-aged wines
- Lower fermentation temps used for lighter, fresher styles
- Oak maturation common. 12-14 months for premium wines, and usually 2nd or 3rd fill barrels (sometimes new oak mixed in)
- If blending is done, usually from different plots or wines that had different treatment in the winery
Describe winemaking techniques for premium Grenache.
- Usually de-stemmed and crushed, but sometimes whole bunches retained to enhance red fruit
- Pre-fermentation maceration common to extract flavor and color
- Fermentation usually done in open-top fermenters (usually SS or concrete, sometimes old oak)
- Gentle cap technique to provide more finesse
- Post-fermentation maceration can be used to enhance tannic structure, but draining off the skins after fermentation is more common
- Maturation in large vessels of old oak to not overwhelm fruit flavors
- Usually blended with other varietals for flavor, tannins, and color
What does pre-fermentation maceration do for red wines?
Extracts flavor and color from the grapes
What does post-fermentation maceration do for red wines?
Extracts and smooths tannins
(Enhances tannic structure)
Describe winemaking techniques for premium, full-body style Syrah.
- Wine is full body, intensely ripe, and high alcohol
- Warm or hot climates
- Wines subjected to vigorous cap management to extract color, tannins, and flavor from ripe & overripe grapes
- High proportion of new oak used to give toasty flavors
Describe winemaking techniques for premium, restrained style Syrah.
- Grapes harvest early in warm/hot climates
- Gentle cap management & proportion of whole bunches used in fermentation
- Post-fermentation maceration can be used to extract and smooth tannins
- Sometimes 225-liter barriques swapped for 300-500 liter old oak
Describe carbonic maceration.
- Whole, uncrushed grapes are put into the vat
- CO2 pumped into the vat to remove oxygen
- Intracellular fermentation starts
- Alcohol level in grape hits 2%, skins split and release juice
- Grapes pressed at that point
- Yeast is added to complete fermentation
Goal: Extract color without tannins
Adds notes of Kirsch, banana, bubblegum, and cinnamon-like spice
Describe semi-carbonic maceration.
- Whole, uncrushed grapes are put into the vat
- Grapes at the bottom are crushed by weight, juice is released
- Ambient yeast starts to ferment the juice
- Fermentation produces CO2, which fills the vat and starts carbonic maceration
- When grapes split and release juice they are pressed
- Yeast is added to complete fermentation
