Just a word on what is going on in the cellar at this time of year.
08 Pinot Noir - 140 barrels, most of which have been there for around 6 months were recently tested for levels of Malic acid to see how complete the MLF was. All barrels came back with a level of below 0.01g/l
The 08 reds are exhibiting slightly higher pH levels than in the past as growers tried to give the grapes extra hang time in order to achieve full ripeness. Bacteria work better the higher the pH levels are so the current dose now is needed to keep them at bay. This should see the barrel maturation period out nicely before I need to rack/blend and bottle in April next year. Its the first sulphur the wine has had since the grapes arrived.
08 White Wines - Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer - Our whites spend a little longer than most on lees and consequently we bottle later too. While there are a lot of 08 whites on the shelves already ours wont come out for another 4 months or so. All the whites have been sitting on lees up until now - gaining a little texture and complexity. From today I will be giving each wine its first coarse filtration as I begin to assemble the blends. Coarse filtration by plate/frame filter as we use here, essentially brightens up the wine from its cloudy state, takes out the larger particles and gives us a clearer idea of where each wine stands.
At this stage the Gris and Gewurz are going to be dry wines whereas we will have two Rieslings - one Canterbury and one Waipara - with between 15-25g/L sugar. This is a great fresh style balanced with higher acidity and low levels of alcohol, around 10-11%. Its a winner.
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