Merche’s Diary – Day 3
I got up a little earlier than usual today to check how the fermentation of the white wine in barrel was coming along. Have I surprised you by mentioning a white wine? Yes, it’s true; we are working on a new As I mentioned before, I came in early to the winery to check that, overnight, everything had progressed smoothly in terms of the fermentation of the white wine in barrels. And to do so you need a good ear.
Why a good ear? I hear you ask. Because what I do is, literally, listen to the fermentation. To do so, I remove the conical glass stopper from the French oak Bordeaux barrel, place my ear over the opening and listen to the sound of the bubbles being made as the carbonic gas is released. This is how I can check the progress of the fermentation process: if it is continuing correctly, if it is slowing down or has stopped.
This harvest in Montecillo we have produced wine from three varieties of white grapes: Viura, Tempranillo Blanco and Sauvignon Blanc. Each of them goes through this process separately. And even if they contain the same variety, each barrel is unique: I have to check each and every one of them, as they each behave differently. It is a laborious process that is carried out on almost a daily basis, but it is very necessary to control the quality. Later, we will do the blending, which consists of, in this case, mixing the results of the fermentation of these different grape varieties in a «magic» formula that is worked out by tasting until we reach the best result possible, in which the qualities of each varietal is expressed in one wine that is much more complex, but well integrated, attempting to make sure that the virtues of each are further enhanced.
Ah, wait! I have to explain something very important. Everyone has heard of «barrel ageing», but fewer people understand that «barrel fermentation» is something very different. Barrel fermentation, as you can guess from the name, is just that, carrying out the fermentation (either the alcoholic or the malolactic fermentation), inside a barrel. Barrel ageing, which is more common in red wines, is a process of ageing the wine after it has fermented in steel tanks.
As is to be expected, using barrels to ferment the wine makes the production process much more expensive, and therefore it is only used for the fruit of the best vines. The subtle touch of oak that wine acquires thanks to this high quality wood and the micro-oxygenation that is created during the naturally reductive process, converts these select grapes into a premium beverage with a cleaner, more intensive aroma and a more unctuous palate.
Due to its elevated costs and the requirement for checks and controls, few wineries carry out fermentation in this way, but we are resolved to keep innovating and incorporating new techniques that modernize tradition and help us diversify, because we think that wine production is alive and ever changing.
The revision of the fermentation of our white wines in barrel is not the only thing I do in this part of the winery, as you can see if you play the video. These barrels need more care, like batonnage for example, that I carry out every two days. But I will explain this in more detail on another occasion; my colleagues are waiting for me in the laboratory.
See you later!
