Chambourcin Oenology History

2011
(Bin 109)

Aims

Variety: French-American hybrid with good resistance to fungal disease (rot), retaining naturally high acidity in warm/hot climates.
Region: Hunter Valley, a region susceptible to high humidity during the growing/harvest season, thus the popularity of Chambourcin with its resistance to rot.
Typical Hunter Valley Style : Typically dominated by ripe (often near-confected) fruit flavours, with smooth palates that are driven acidity but otherwise lacking (phenolic) texture; often heavily (and sweetly) oaked.
Aim: To make a Chambourcin wine that possessed texture, with significant astringency and a more savoury oriented flavour profile.

Site Details and Vintage

Location: Lower Hunter Valley region in the state of New South Wales, Australia.
Vineyard: Vine rows oriented approximately east-west, on a slope falling to the north with 0.06 gradient.
Yields: Generally below 2 tonnes per acre, maintained by hand pruning and crop thinning.
Climate: High temperatures and high rainfall in the summer months. Mean temperatures for October through to February (fruit ripening months) are all above 25°C (77°F). The 2011 season showed slightly below average mean temperatures in October through December, but slightly above average mean temperatures for the month of January. The fruit was harvested on 5 February 2011.

Crush and Must Preparation

Crush : Some hours after harvesting, the fruit was destemmed and gently crushed with progressive SO2 additions totalling 32 mg/l.
Stems : Partially lignified, with reduced bitterness and acidity, and a slightly spicy flavour. Whole bunches (9%, with stems attached) were added to the fermenters from select bunches to add phenolic texture to the wine.
Must Analyticals : Clear must measured:
SG of 1.110
Brix ~26
Baumé ~14
pH 3.28
TA 8.9 g/l

Fermentation

Inoculation: With multiple cultured yeast strains on the day after crush.
Fermentation Vessels: Approximately 1.5:1 fill height to diameter ratio (2.1 m2 exposed surface area per m3 must).
Fermentation Progress: Vigorous within 24 hours of inoculation.
Cap Management: Manually punched down an average of two to three times daily for nine days following inoculation.

Pressing

Timing: Ten days after inoculation, at SG 0.995 / Baumé -1.1.
Method: Basket press at moderate pressure.
Press Yield: 550 L/tonne of fruit (65 US gal./1000 lb of fruit).
Racking: The wine was racked one day after pressing to remove vegetal lees.

Malolactic Fermentation

Inoculation: The day after crush.
Progress: General: Slow, due to low ambient temperatures.
Two months after pressing: pH was approximately 3.15 and the TA 8.3 g/l
Three months after pressing: Began to develop some reductive aromatic characters (e.g., cracked pepper).
Three to seven months after pressing: Temperatures were too low for MLF to proceed. The wine remained unsulphured over the winter and was regularly monitored for reductive flavours and MLF activity. It was not racked, the dissolved CO2 from partial MLF and the fine lees providing adequate oxidative protection, and the risk of microbial spoilage reduced due to low temperatures and appropriate hygeine
Seven months after pressing: MLF activity revived in the spring. The wine colour was just-transparent, dark vibrant purple. The nose showed a slightly funky, earthy nose with ripe plummy fruit and an attractive stemmy-vegetal character. The palate was juicy and medium bodied, possessing velvety textured tannins throughout the front and mid-palate. The acidity was slightly too high at a TA of 7.6 g/l (pH 3.23).
Ten months after pressing: MLF complete. SO2 was added at a dosage of 35 mg/l. This was to provide at least 0.6 mg/l molecular SO2 assuming 50% binding.

Cold Stabilisation and Bottling

Cold Stabilisation: At approximately 4°C (39°F) for one week to further reduce the acidity.
Bottling: Immediately following cold stabilisation.

Final analysis

TBA



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