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p r a c t i c a l w i n e r y & v i n e ya r d O c t O B e r 2 0 1 4 69 Crafting the Bosché Cabernet In the cellars, Edwards is clearly in his element. He strides through long aisles of stainless steel tanks. "We sort the fruit three times. First sort is in the vineyard, where we harvest in the cool hours of the early morning. Second sort is with a Pellenc berry sepa- rator/sorter that leaves clean berries on a conveyor belt. The fruit is then sorted a third time by two people who conduct a visual hand-sort. We retain only the highest quality fruit." At the end of the conveyor the berries go through a gentle set of rollers to lightly break them with- out macerating them. The grapes are transferred to stainless steel tanks to cold soak for four to five days at 55° F, then they are inoculated with D254 yeast, which he believes "helps develop color and flavor." Fermentation temperature peaks around 80° to 85° F. There is a pump over at least twice per day, with a positive displacement pump using a sprinkler. "I enjoy tasting the fermentation," says Edwards. "It is fascinating to experience how the wine is changing each day, con- verting the sweet Bosché grapes from the vineyard into an elegant wine." Alcoholic fermentation usually takes 10 to 12 days, followed by a period of extended maceration to help the tannins integrate and improve texture, and to maximize color and flavor. Total skin contact time is 20 to 22 days. The fer- mented grapes are gently pressed in a five-ton basket press, with free run and press wine aged separately. Inoculation for malolactic fermenta- tion (MLF) occurs while the wine is still in tank, at a temperature around 75° F. "I like to start MLF in tanks to make sure they all start at the same time. If in bar- rel, the wine can start MLF at different times." MLF usually finishes in about two months, and the wine is racked out of barrel to tank. where it settles for one week. At this time, measurements are taken for SO 2 and adjustments made to 35 ppm free if necessary. The wine is aged for two years in 65% new French oak medium-toast barrels. Racking is performed twice per year, with topping every five weeks or as needed. Different vineyard blocks are aged in separate barrels. The wine is blended a couple months before bottling and usually includes 8% to 15% of Bosché Merlot. Edwards only fines if necessary, but he always uses a crossflow filter (first installed in 2008). This filtration is done after the wine has been barrel-aged for two years. The addition of SO 2 is kept to a minimum with a total of 80 –100 ppm at bottling. After bottling, the wine will rest for one year, and it is not released until four years after vintage. The 2013 Bosché will not be released until November 2017. In terms of winemaking approach, Edwards believes in letting the vineyard show through, and he is proud of how the different vintages are reflected in the taste of the wine. He has continued to produce Bosché in a similar fashion as it was made 30 years ago, and he has not been tempted w i n e G R O w i n G Ted Edwards and the Pellenc berry separator/ sorter purchased in 2012. Your source for informative technical books. ORDER TODAY! www.PracticalWinery.com and click BOOKSHELF