Fantastic grapes
23. November 2009 | 12:37
Last week was the climax of our working year.
Sun and light breezes have dried off the fragile grapes and we could finally harvest fantastic quality material at the Heiligenstein, Käferberg and Lamm vineyards.
Time concerns meant that we could only bring in the healthy grapes. Shrivelled and nobly rotten berries are still in the vineyards.
The fragrance of the juice flowing from the press is overwhelming: for the Grüner Veltliner it is like being in a leafy forest after a shower, the Riesling smells of blossoms and fruit.
The sensitive grapes are treated extremely carefully in the vineyards. They are put into small boxes, but are never thrown, to avoid premature loos of juice.
In the press, the pressure is very low, allowing the juice to seep out without mechanical pressure.
This process requires some twelve hours per pressing.
The resulting must is clear, free of opacity, just as if it had been pressed with a traditional tree press.
The fermentation is taking its time, too, and it is possible that the more powerful wines will retain the odd gram of residual sugar, which will only add to fruit and charm, as long as it is not too much of a good thing.
A natural fermentation always leads to stability in a wine, and to individual character.
Chance is still one of the best assistants a cellar master can have.
