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WINEMAKING space also enables workers to drive bins inside with a forklift to dump directly into open tops. "All the open space is a huge luxury here," he said. When the winery first opened, clients rented several of the tanks for custom crush. As more and more tanks were used for the Saracina brand, less space was available for custom crush, which currently accounts for about 10% of the winery's capacity. Rows of tall windows run along the sides of the building beneath the roof. The windows provide a view of hillside vine- yards from the tank catwalk and allow in so much daylight that the lights stay off for most of the year. The building design is simple, as if to match MacGregor's self-described low- intervention winemaking style. He uses native yeasts and bacteria and rarely filters. Such an approach is common for high-end Napa Valley wineries making wine with grapes that are up to three times more expensive. Whole-cluster fermentation Almost all of the reds at Saracina are fer- mented with a portion of whole clusters, the amount of which depends on the va- rietal. The winery's Anderson Valley Pinot Noir is usually fermented with 5%-10% whole cluster, the Grenache 25% and Syrah as much as 40%. "The high-eleva- tion Syrahs are superb using whole-cluster ferments," MacGregor said. "Spicy, dried herb, saturated, dense and bright at the same time—all with relatively high pH at bottling, actually, really high in most cases. They appear to be aging admirably." MacGregor said he finished a 2006 Syrah with a pH of 4.16, and instead of being a flabby or "soapy" wine, it tasted fresh. MacGregor said whole-cluster fer- mentation "lifts the palate" somehow with a boost of acidity that doesn't register as a higher TA. The approach also alters the tannin structure, provides a touch of "garrigue" flavor as well as pepper notes, less color saturation and slows down the fermentation. And yet for a variety like Pe- tite Sirah, MacGregor said a bit of whole- cluster fermentation can soften tannins yielding a wine that is as not as lean. For nearly all the reds, MacGregor shovels whole clusters from bins to tank. When the grapes reach the bottom of the racking door, the door is closed. A must pump then sends berries from a Puleo Vega 10 destemmer in through the bottom valve. Pinot Noir ferments in TECHNICAL REVIEW open-top tanks that allow MacGregor to drop in whole clusters with a bin dumper mounted on a forklift. Fermentations are managed with either Carlsen irrigators or manual punch downs. Thanks to the cold evening tempera- tures in Mendocino County, MacGregor said he rarely needs to chill tanks down for cold soak or mess with adding dry ice while filling tanks. A dependable old press MacGregor said he rarely chills whites, and he thinks too much chilling can strip nutrients from the juice, leading to sluggish fermentations. Saracina makes an unoaked Chardonnay that stays in stainless steel tanks on its lees but with no stirring and no malolactic fermentation to create a wine "as crisp as possible." He makes a white Rhone blend with a process similar to the winery's signature Sauvignon Blanc. A 30-year-old Bucher Vaslin press (still going strong with just an occasional membrane replacement) pro- cesses whole clusters, and the juice spends a cold Mendocino night in a tank. Workers rack the juice off the heavy lees into neutral barrels, most of which are 15 years old, and a small portion of stainless steel barrels. Search CONSTRUCTION Online Winery Suppliers Vineyard Suppliers General Suppliers ONLINE SEARCH 30 WINES & VINES DECEMBER 2012 Associations Facilities Finance IT Solutions Publications Safety WWW.WINESANDVINESBUYERSGUIDE.COM Sales & Marketing Warehousing Shipping