Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/90739
CO VER S T OR Y Cherokee_Nov05.qxt 9/19/05 10:52 AM Page 1 The basket press represents one step in the winemaking outfit created by Carlsen & Associates for William Gordon Winery, where Cabernet Sauvignon is the flagship varietal. Experience in Walla Walla Gilles Nicault, the winemaker at Long Shadows in Walla Walla, Wash., uses a Di- emme 23 basket press for all of the red wine produced at the winery, which has many famed winemaker partners. Nicault said that two partners, Melka and John Duval, recommended he get the basket press. Nicault can operate the press either man- ually or automatically; it uses hydraulic pressure. "It presses and releases in cycles and has a sensor so it won't press too hard. It's very gentle," he said. "By comparison, every time you press in a membrane press, you get dirtier juice. The grapes in the basket press help filter the juice." It's difficult to compare the output from basket and membrane presses, Nicault said, since you have to let the solids settle out of the membrane-pressed wine. "Even so, the yield isn't as high, but you can apply 6 bar of pressure com- pared to only 1.6 bar on a membrane press." He added, "I could extract every drop, but I don't want to do that." A full cycle takes about 1.5 hours. Nicault keeps the free-run juice separate from various fractions of the press wines and evaluates each separately. Some he uses for a second label, Nine Hats, refer- hauling precious cargo • 24 hour dispatch • Competitive rates • Personalized Service • Radio/Cell phone equipped • State-of-the-art equipment • Maximum payload capacity • Over 30 years in operation • References available • Fleet of over 200 trucks including Wine Tanks and Dry Freight Vans CHEROKEE FREIGHT LINES 5463 Cherokee Road • Stockton, CA 95215 Telephone: 209.931.3570 • or visit our website:www.gocfl.com 32 WINES & VINES NOVEMBER 2012