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WINEMAKING "minimalist," or only when needed. While both wineries skip a lot of the interventions standard in the industry—passing on commer- cial yeasts for the most part, making little or no use of enzymes— and Ampelos is applying for Biodynamic winemaking certification, neither preaches doctrinaire "natural" winemaking. Ampelos started out with a manual basket press, and that was fine for the first couple of years. In the new facility, with the Eu- ropress available, Work figured he would still use the basket for special lots. It hasn't been touched since. Gravity-flow barrel filling is made possible by hoisting barrels (left.) Workers from both wineries are constantly cleaning the shared space. bit more for trouble lots. Grapes may get a mild sulfur mist before they head into the cold box, and perhaps an ozonated water spray at the destemmer, since some lots are likely to need water dilu- tion anyway. The Dragonette team describes its sulfur strategy as Finishing and packaging All the reds for both brands and some of Dragonette's whites end up aging in small barrels. Both use a range of coopers and almost entirely French oak. Ampelos does have a bit of American oak in the form of hybrid barrels—American staves with French heads— and some Mueller stainless steel barrels as well. For both, the various red wines and blends get between one-third and half new wood. Since the representatives from Tonnellerie Boutes knew the Works were interested in Biodynamics, they arranged for some barrels made from oak cut on a descending moon in 2010. Am- pelos has one experimental wine that is still in barrel from 2009; Dragonette left one Syrah lot in wood for 34 months. Just as not much crushing gets done at the crusher, there's not much fining or filtration at the end of the line. Both brands do bentonite fining for their white wines. Dragonette cold stabilizes its white and pink wines in the cold box; Ampelos has begun handling the chore with Claristar, a mannoprotein product that disrupts tartrate crystal formation. When either winery needs filtration for a particular lot, it can either use the equipment at a friendly winery or, as Dragonette has done, bring in a mobile 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 WINES & VINES OCTOBER 2012 47