The photos above show Damien, Andrew(Auge's new barman), Eva(Damien's Fiance) and James(Sommelier) checking the development of the Montepulciano in barrel. This was the first time I had looked at the Monty in a month. Damien and I speak weekly about the status of our wine and Damien ensured me that Malo lactic Fermentation (MLF) was still underway. I felt comfortable leaving the monty for such a long time as the risk of wines developing wine faults like reductivity and volatility are very low while MLF is underway.
As a reminder MLF is where lactic acid bacteria "'ferment" malic (apple) acid to lactic (milk) acid producing CO2 in the process. Here CO2 acts as an anti-oxidant preventing the oxidation of fruit and alcohol to acetic acid (vinegar). Since the wine is bubbling while fermenting, there is little risk of wines becoming reductive (stinky), where Hydrogen binds to Sulfir forming H2S (hydrogen sulfide).
MLF "bugs" can be added to a wine to stimulate MLF and ensure the process takes place but providing sulfur levels are not too high (less than 12ppm free) MLF should and did take place naturally.
So, down to the nit and the grit; how's she tasting? Well, she's still finishing up MLF therefore some of the fruit is till masked by a milkyness that will disappear. The wine is very tightly structured and has a great prune / plum flavour. The tannins I was hunting for (via post ferment maceration for 6 weeks) are definately evident and swoosh forward from the back of the palate and up the sides of your cheeks. There is a really cheeky squeakyness in the acid of the wine and the length is great. There is a little bitterness. There are two suggestions where this may have arisen from. 1. The post ferment maceration was very gentle (i.e. no plunging) but it is possible that this long period of alcohol contact with the seeds, extracted some of the higher/bitter tannins. 2. We pressed too hard; this is unlikley.
I discussed the potential of battonage (stirring the dead yeast cells=lees) with Damien as a way of add to the mouthfeel of the wine BUT the tighness is so unique at the moment so, there I feel it is better to sit and wait. I predict that this wine will stay in barrel at least until Feb 2009, allowing the wine to integrate, taking on some sweetness from the wood and concentrate as the wine slowly evaporates in barrel.
Next steps? In two weeks time we will rack the wine from the barrel it is in, to another barrel, taking the wine from the gross-lees. This is important because when MLF is complete there will be no more natural bubbling/movement of the wine and there will be no CO2 present therefore the lees in the wine will begin to suck up any O2 that is present, creating a reductive environment. We want to keep some lees, as these certainly add texture the mouthfeel of the wine as it matures but we definately want to avoid reduction!
As a reminder MLF is where lactic acid bacteria "'ferment" malic (apple) acid to lactic (milk) acid producing CO2 in the process. Here CO2 acts as an anti-oxidant preventing the oxidation of fruit and alcohol to acetic acid (vinegar). Since the wine is bubbling while fermenting, there is little risk of wines becoming reductive (stinky), where Hydrogen binds to Sulfir forming H2S (hydrogen sulfide).
MLF "bugs" can be added to a wine to stimulate MLF and ensure the process takes place but providing sulfur levels are not too high (less than 12ppm free) MLF should and did take place naturally.
So, down to the nit and the grit; how's she tasting? Well, she's still finishing up MLF therefore some of the fruit is till masked by a milkyness that will disappear. The wine is very tightly structured and has a great prune / plum flavour. The tannins I was hunting for (via post ferment maceration for 6 weeks) are definately evident and swoosh forward from the back of the palate and up the sides of your cheeks. There is a really cheeky squeakyness in the acid of the wine and the length is great. There is a little bitterness. There are two suggestions where this may have arisen from. 1. The post ferment maceration was very gentle (i.e. no plunging) but it is possible that this long period of alcohol contact with the seeds, extracted some of the higher/bitter tannins. 2. We pressed too hard; this is unlikley.
I discussed the potential of battonage (stirring the dead yeast cells=lees) with Damien as a way of add to the mouthfeel of the wine BUT the tighness is so unique at the moment so, there I feel it is better to sit and wait. I predict that this wine will stay in barrel at least until Feb 2009, allowing the wine to integrate, taking on some sweetness from the wood and concentrate as the wine slowly evaporates in barrel.
Next steps? In two weeks time we will rack the wine from the barrel it is in, to another barrel, taking the wine from the gross-lees. This is important because when MLF is complete there will be no more natural bubbling/movement of the wine and there will be no CO2 present therefore the lees in the wine will begin to suck up any O2 that is present, creating a reductive environment. We want to keep some lees, as these certainly add texture the mouthfeel of the wine as it matures but we definately want to avoid reduction!
