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COVER STORY A higher concentration of grape tannins and oxygen will help retain more anthocyanins in the wine and will create a wine with more intensity and richness." For making Pirouette wines at Long Shadows, winemakerpartner Philippe Melka uses the 400-liter Baron fermentors placed on the OXO wheelbase in order to ferment the Cabernet Sauvignon. The idea of using oak barrels for fermentation is the same as for the wood vats, but the ratio of oak to must will be dramatically increased. "The wines usually show an incredible depth with a lot of dark character," Nicault says. To maintain them, Long Shadows uses ozonated water once a month to rehydrate the tanks and barrels. "We keep the tanks open for a good air flow and sulfur the barrels. We have had no problem keeping them fresh," Nicault says. Joel Aiken, who's now a consultant as well as producing his own brand, worked for Beaulieu Vineyard in Rutherford, Calif., for many years, the last several as chief winemaker. His experience included using large redwood tanks for holding wines before bottling, but never for long periods. Some had been in use since 1947, while the newest were bought in 1970. "They had no impact on the wine," he says. Toward the end of his tenure at BV, Aiken acquired two 1,500-gallon French oak tanks for fermentation. "They added the complexity of oak compared to stainless steel. "You got more mocha and softening of the tannins from oaky to complex." Aiken left the vats empty after fermentation and used SO2 and plenty of air to keep them sweet. He then filled them with water in time to completely hydrate before the next harvest. Few wineries have the visual impact of the To Kalon Cellar at Robert ICONE RANGE Low Aroma High Aroma Elégance For more information contact your sales representative or email us at info @seguinmoreau.com 34 W in es & V i ne s F E B R UARY 20 13