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WINEMA k ING the vineyard plantings are maturing and producing better fruit, and now that Easton is looking for more savory character in his wines—more umami—stems are back, es- pecially for Grenache and Syrah. He thinks the stems add some tannin, which has to be monitored lest it build up too far, and also absorb a bit of alcohol along the way, which is fine with Easton. A Cab Franc made en- tirely from foot-treaded whole clusters did very well in competition. Naturally, I asked Easton how much at- tention he pays to getting brown stems, not green stems. "Not much," he said. "I'm not sure green or brown is a big deal, and neither are the guys I talk to in France." For the multiple labels under the Hope Family Wines umbrella in Paso Rob- les, winemaker Austin Hope thinks he's learned a good deal about tannin in the past few years. "Alcohol isn't the only thing that can create the sensation of weight in a wine," he said; "It can be accomplished by tannin and sugar, too." Since residual sugar isn't his style, Hope has been trying to pick a little less ripe, thus avoiding the need for acid additions, and putting reds through very long macerations—three to five days of cold soak, fermentation to full dryness, then two to four weeks of extended mac- eration under an argon gas cover with a light daily pump over. The aim he calls "a plaquing tannin," one that adds texture all across the mouth. Encouraging tannin polymerization is one of the reasons Janet Myers at Napa's Franciscan Estate is so happy with the in- line venturi devices that have become a regular part of pump overs and racking op- erations. The injection of air during pump overs keeps the yeast happy, and judicious oxygen additions during racking help the tannins in big red wines resolve. Franciscan Winery's Mazzei Tank Injectors, obtained through Scott Labs, let the winemakers dial in precise oxygen additions; during racking, dissolved oxygen levels can be measured before and after the venturi operation, al- lowing for informed adjustments. Tablas Creek has another use for air in its tannin management efforts: a Pulsair sys- tem in each of its wooden uprights replaces pump overs with gas bubbles, gently slosh- ing all the wine and splashing the cap as the compressed air gurgles its way to the top. Crossflow on the march By far the most-mentioned piece of winery equipment in my random survey was the crossflow filter, not a cheap investment but Cellar trials revealed that a mixed amount of skin contact made for the best wine. —Winemaker Jim Klein, Navarro Vineyards one that is steadily being made by more and more mid-sized and even smaller win- eries. Winemaker Nicholls is a fan, after some years of worrying about the health and disposal issues raised by Markham's diatomaceous earth filtration system. Their Padovan crossflow, bought through Ameri- Now all print subscribers get free digital access Scan this mobile barcode or visit winesandvines.com/digitaledition. View this issue on your computer or any mobile device. DIGITAL EDITION WWW.WINESANDVINES.COM 52 Wines & Vines JULY 2012