Hector, Technical Assistant, refilling Cabernet Sauvignon barrels. It takes 7-8 minutes to fill a 500L barrel.
This past week at Sculpterra, our winery crew has been hard at work, caring for the 2020 harvest. I was invited out to our production facility to watch the process of racking and take some photos.
Lees
During wine production, various kinds of sediment, known as lees, form. Over time, the lees sink to the bottom of the barrel or tank. This sediment is composed of yeast cells and other fermentation byproducts, like tartrates. Once malolactic fermentation is complete, the wine is no longer giving off carbon dioxide, and it’s time to start the process of clarification and ageing.
*Malolactic fermentation is the process of converting harsh malic acid to buttery lactic acid, usually via inoculation with a harmless bacterium. Most red wines and some white wines go through this process to give a more pleasant mouth-feel.
Racking
Racking involves siphoning the wine from one vessel to another, leaving the lees behind, clarifying the wine in the process. Leaving wine on the lees for too long can result in ‘off’ flavours as sediments decompose, which increases the chances of other problems, so it’s an important task. These days, a pump tends to be used to speed up the process. Racking can be done several times as the wine ages to further improve clarity and stability, before final filtering when it’s time for bottling. Paul Frankel, the winemaker at Sculpterra, has a very ‘clean’ style to his wines, and racking during the ageing process is a great way to keep undesirable flavours at bay, and delicious fruit to the forefront.
Each barrel of wine for each lot is pumped into a steel tank, leaving most of the lees behind. The emptied barrels are then washed out, and the wine is transferred back in to continue ageing.
Aromas of fresh wine and new oak fill the air, making it a great time to be in the production area. One of the best things about my job!
If you like this post, do take a look at some of my others. You’ll find wine reviews, back-stories, and even a post about my monstrous puppy.
Darren.