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 Cote Chalonnaise and the Maconnais,
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 Aligote,
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 winemaking, 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 your hands are in the graves, what are you looking for?
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 bladder press
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
While 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 fermentation
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 byproducts 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
doing 2-3 month during the winter
this next step of malolactic fermentation
Happens naturally as the sellers start to warm up in the springtime though It may occur before hand
during malolactic fermentation
Microorganisms naturally found in grape juice transformed 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 will 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 would change the sugar in alcohol and
we do ageing between here, between
12 and 18 months.
The dead yeast cells from the alcoholic and malolactic fermentation
known as lee's maybe stirred into the wine
This process is known as battonage and can add unique flavours to a wine such as nutty or bready characteristics.
After malolactic fermentation,
the lee's are removed and sulphites 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 producers preference. This process is known as elevage.
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 word allow for micro oxygenation softening the wine in creating a smooth 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 in the final cork being added
Bottles are then labeled 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 wine making in Burgundy many producers will adapt and vary these processes to put their own
personal signature on the wines
Wine makers need to make dozens
If not hundreds of decisions along the way to ensure that they end up with the best possible final product.