There are really only 2 ways that rosé wines are created. One being a strictly controlled
skin contact process with the red grape must. This is where grapes are pressed quickly,
as to only extract a clear white juice for fermentation. Typically the juice is
only left to sit on the must for 12- 48 hours depending on the grape and the amount
of colour you wish to extract from it ( light blush to a vibrant pink). The other
is to actually blend white and red juice together at some point in the wine
making process. That is really winery specific for what they want to achieve with
their wine. Also you can blend a pink juice with white juice to achieve the
same thing. Typically with a rosé wine you see a rather short maturation time, and typically it’s in stainless steel to help keep the rich fruit flavors in the juice, as it is impenetrable to oxygen. But it can also be done in concrete and oak barrels. The oak will impart vanilla and spices in to a wine, along with softening acids and giving it a bit of micro oxidization, this is where we start to come across rosés that have a creamier and dustier colour.
I haven’t seen a lot of concrete barrels used but my understanding is that the porous nature of concrete allows a slight blending of vintages through the years. I’ve only ever really heard of this being used in the big robust reds but I don’t see why it wouldn’t have applications in all types of wines
As the wine ages, either in the barrels or in the bottles, it may change in colour as well. However most rosé wines are bottled and available to consumers at a rather young age, compared to the white and red wines, that this isn’t necessarily applicable. They are sent out young because of their light, fruity and refreshing nature. Too much time and they could start to lose their acids and get dull.
Cheers!
No comments:
Post a Comment