White Winemaking In Burgundy Explained

Burgundy is one of the most prestigious wine regions and home to some of the greatest white wines in the world. From the northern outpost of Chablis all the way down to the southern sub-regions of the Côtes-Chalonais and the Maconais, Burgundy's white wines have built up an undisputed reputation. The process of making these world-class white wines has been perfected over thousands of years. In Burgundy a number of white grapes are permitted including Aligoté, Pinot Blanc and even Sauvignon Blanc in specific appellations. However the vast majority of Burgundy's white wines are made exclusively from Chardonnay. Making a white wine in Burgundy can be quite different from making red wine as it normally involves a number of different steps. Like all wine making, making white wine starts out with harvesting when the grapes have reached their optimal ripeness and balance between sugar and acidity levels. In Burgundy many of the top producers will harvest by hand, however machine harvesting is also allowed for all wines except Grand Cru. The harvested grapes will then go through a rigorous sorting process to make sure that only the best berries are sent for production. When you're hand sorting the grapes what are you looking for? The grapes are put on a sorting table and it's at that moment that the people who are affected by this service will either remove leaves that have been taken from the boxes, we will try to remove small insects that are not necessarily wanted, we will remove, if we have a year where there is botrytis, we will remove the seeds that are affected by botrytis, we remove all the elements that can be harmful, pieces of branches, we can also find pebbles that can alter later during pressing. This sorting can be done either by hand or with a high-tech machine that removes the unwanted berries. Once the grapes have been sorted they will be ready for pressing. Grapes will be placed into a press which in Burgundy is most commonly a This is a type of steel tube that has a large bladder inside. The bladder will slowly inflate expanding and pressing the grapes gently. The juice then runs out and is stored in large vats or oak barrels. Whilst stored the unfermented grape juice known as must will settle with any sediment resting at the bottom. Once settled this sediment is removed and the wine can begin The first phase of fermentation is the alcoholic fermentation. This occurs either naturally or through the addition of selected yeasts to the vat. Alcoholic fermentation is the process of yeast consuming the grapes natural sugars and there are three natural by-products of fermentation, ethanol, carbon dioxide and heat. So how long does the fermentation process last? Alcoholic fermentation can do two, three weeks and after we have a second fermentation called malolactic fermentation and this fermentation can during two, three months during the winter. This next step of malolactic fermentation happens naturally as the cellars start to warm up in the springtime though it may occur beforehand. During malolactic fermentation microorganisms naturally found in grape juice transform tart malic acid found in green apples into soft lactic acid which is found in milk. This process softens the wine and helps to give a round and creamy texture. Some producers may prefer to prevent the malolactic fermentation from occurring as a stylistic decision to maintain fresh crisp acidity in their wines. This can be controlled by adding sulfur dioxide or keeping the wine at a low temperature where this fermentation cannot take place. So what are the basic steps for fermenting a white wine? For the white wines here in Burgundy we use Chardonnay. We need to have beautiful grapes in a good maturity. We do the press, we press the grape, we obtain the juice and after we put the juice in the barrel and we are waiting. After the alcoholic fermentation we change the sugar in alcohol and we do aging between here between 12 and 18 months. The dead yeast cells from the alcoholic and malolactic fermentation known as lees may be stirred into the wine. This process is known as batonnage and can add unique flavours to a wine such as nutty or bready characteristics. After malolactic fermentation the lees are removed and sulfites might be added to the wine to preserve it. The wine will then go through a maturation period and may be left in oak barrels or other vessels such as stainless steel tanks over a number of months depending on the producer's preference. This process is known as élevage. This step is critical to the development of flavours and aromas in a wine. In Burgundy French oak barrels of 228 litres are preferred and act as the perfect vessel for maturing the wine. Tiny pores in the wood allow for micro oxygenation, softening the wine and creating a smoother final product. Maturation for top white Burgundy is often around 12 months. After the maturation phase the wine is transferred out of the oak barrels and back into a stainless steel vat during what is known as racking and blending. Wines that are made up of different vineyard plots will all be blended together into the tank. The wine is often still cloudy at this point so a process of fining may be done to remove the unwanted particles thus clarifying the liquid. Fining agents may be natural proteins such as those found in egg whites or fish though synthetic products can also be used most commonly in vegan wines. The final step of the process is bottling with the wines being transferred from tank to bottle and the final cork being added. Bottles are then labelled and ready for sale. This whole process can take anywhere from a few months to almost two years. Whilst these steps are the basics of white winemaking in Burgundy many producers will adapt and vary these processes to put their own personal signature on the wines. Winemakers need to make dozens if not hundreds of decisions along the way to ensure that they end up with the best possible final product.