April 14, 2003
Racked the 2003 Syrah
Tom and I spent Sunday morning racking red wines. I wanted to rack (i.e. transfer) my 2002 Syrah- York from a 1 year old Vernou barrel to a neutral barrel. The reasons were 1) to put into another barrel for longer term aging, 2) to open the wine (i.e. to let the wine breath, or to expose to a bit of air), and 3) to have another wine soak up the newer oak flavors.
We used a handy racking tool, Bulldog wand. It uses nitrogen to transfer the wine with minimal air contact. With such limited space, we can place barrels side by side and are not limited by gravity. Here is a close up of the window to watch for sediment.
What is racking?
The process of siphoning off the clear juice from the sediment that has fallen to the bottom of the container either naturally or with the help of fining agents. Racking can occur from 2 to 4 times before the wine is clear. Some wines, like Pinot Noir, are very rarely racked; if only before bottling.
The process of siphoning off the clear juice from the sediment that has fallen to the bottom of the container either naturally or with the help of fining agents. Racking can occur from 2 to 4 times before the wine is clear. Some wines, like Pinot Noir, are very rarely racked; if only before bottling.
Posted by Sasha on April 14, 2003 11:47 AM
Comments
websites looking good, cha cha...
I like what you and tom did with the whole "racking" thing. Very interesting wine information. It's amazing how much is involved in the whole process of making a single bottle. My absolute joy and appreciation has deepend with the knowledge you have imparted to the public at large on this site.
Another note: My uncle and sister will be running the SF marathon on July 25-27...I was thinking about proposing a dinner party at YOUR place (what a friend, hey!)...I want my Uncle to see and try your wines...A neat guy to get directly connected with...we'll talk about in detail later on for sure...keep it in your noggen. Until then, keep on creatin'!
Fantastic stuff, Sasha!
sy
Posted by: sy on April 22, 2003 12:07 AMthis is a post to my last post:
I want everyone to know that i recently tried a fantastic Barbera D'Alba called:
Rocche De Manzone 1998
by Sorito Mosconi D.O.C.
on April 23rd tasting at the Wine Trading Co. on
Posted by: sy on April 22, 2003 12:12 AM19th and Taravel...
Glad that the site is providing an insight into the winemaking process and the story behind each bottle. I'm busy designing a new site full of more information on vineyard sources, the story behind Little Miss Dangerous and Small Town Hero, and my winemaking philosophy.
I'd love to have your folks taste through my portfolio.
Check back often. This year should be very exciting-- excellent fruit sources, limited production, and continued focus on quality.
Again, thanks for the interest in the wines!
Cheers,
Posted by: Sasha on April 22, 2003 10:11 AMSasha