ÿþ<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" /> <title>Loire - Project Cabernet Franc</title> <link href="css/styles.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> </head> <body> <div id="wrapper"> <div id="headerHolder"> <img src="images/header.jpg" alt="Loire - Project Cabernet Franc" width="690" height="120" /></div> <div id="bannerHolder"> <img src="images/banner.jpg" alt="Loire - Project Cabernet Franc" width="690" height="97" /></div> <div id="dateHolder"> <h1> Winter 2008</h1> </div> <div id="contentHolder"> <h2> PROTOCOL SUMMARY</h2> <p> <img src="images/Anjou.JPG" alt="" width="131" height="99" class="pictureHolder" /><strong>Overview</strong></p> <p> Harrop s brief was to help develop wines of a consistent quality which will be better suited to the UK export market without compromising the unique  terroir styles. He and the rest of the InterLoire technical team are confident that the wines made in this project will provide a real understanding into the various terroir qualities of the red Loire AOCs. Harrop has worked closely with both the technical team and 11 different producers, who created a protocol at the start of the project for wine-makers to follow. It must be noted that from the outset it was made clear that this was a long term project and that the necessary changes could not be implemented over just one vintage. For this reason InterLoire has placed a very strong educational element to the project. Growers have been educated over the last 12 months and at Fontevraud in June 2006 the protocol detail and the results of the work were revealed to over 300 producers in an effort to encourage large scale acceptance of the preferred viticultural and winemaking practices to achieve improved balance in Loire Cabernet Franc.</p> <p> <strong>Key areas of focus</strong></p> <p> <strong><i>Viticulture</i></strong></p> <p> Pruning: to get yields down and to restore balance to the vineyards. Canopy management critical and ensure shoot removal carried out in over vigorous vineyards. Also leaf plucking critical at the start of veraison to reduce herbaceous flavours. </p> <p> Harvest timing: Winemakers must inspect and taste the fruit on a regular basis leading up to harvest. Timing of harvest is paramount to have a riper richer more balanced style of Cabernet Franc - harvest should ideally commence when fruit and phenolic ripeness are optimum. In warm years flavour ripeness will come earlier than phenolic ripeness and in this instance timing of harvest should be linked to flavour ripeness and not phenolic ripeness to ensure that typical fruit flavours of the variety and region are preserved. </p> <p> <strong><i>Winemaking</i></strong></p> <p> Winemaking techniques to be employed to make more balanced wines should work to preserve fruit, minimise phenolic extraction, and achieve stability during elevage and at bottling. </p> <p> <strong>Summary of Recommendation </strong> </p> <p> <strong><i>Harvest and pre-fermentation</i></strong></p> <p> On a normal harvest day, fruit should be in the cellar before 11:00am when the ambient temperatures are still relatively cool. </p> <p> Consider the use of triage to remove dried berries. </p> <p> Avoid using the crushers - this will ensure the wines have less bitterness and more ripe fruit flavours. </p> <p> Pre-fermentation maceration is a technique used a lot with Cabernet Franc and it can be used to good effect if the fruit is ripe enough. Too often it is used on green unripe fruit. In this instance the process merely enhances the unripe, herbaceous notes and this should be avoided if the winemaker cannot guarantee the fruit is ripe enough at harvest. </p> <p> <strong><i>Fermentation </i></strong> </p> <p> Producers to avoid spontaneous fermentation and to inoculate with select yeast strains to ensure a healthy and complete fermentation. Trials were carried out at one producer with a yeast strain that minimises the herbaceous flavours drawn from the fruit during fermentation. </p> <p> If the fruit is ripe, a fermentation temperature of 24 degrees C of the juice to enhance the primary fruit characters through definition. If the fruit is green a fermentation temperature of 26-28 degrees C. </p> <p> By checking the temperature 2 x a day you will get better control over fermentation. </p> <p> Ease off on the timing and frequency of remontage  be gentle. </p> <p> Consider using more Dellastage if tannins are ripe certainly after 2 days of fermentation. </p> <p> Consider each parcel separately depending on the quality of the fruit during the extraction process. </p> <p> <strong><i>Post-Fermentation </i></strong> </p> <p> Wine should be kept at 20°C during post fermentation maceration to aid the extraction process. </p> <p> Check sulphur levels on wines 1 x every two weeks, post MLF fermentation and adjust to keep levels at 25ppm to avoid MLF and oxidation. </p> <p> For hygiene and quality use a lactic acid bacteria culture to start MLF. Keep the temperature at 20°C and monitor the MLF closely. As soon as the MLF is complete add SO2 to ensure the wines do not oxidise. </p> <p> With ripe fruit consider pressing a small percentage of production into barrels and allow wines to carry out their MLF in barrel for added complexity and texture. </p> <p> Do not blend wines too early. Keep separate to give more flexibility at blending. </p> <p> <strong><i>Bulk Storage / Elevage </i></strong> </p> <p> Check SO2 levels in tank and barrel frequently after MLF. </p> <p> Ensure no lag between primary and secondary fermentation by inoculating with appropriate culture. This will minimize the chance of rogue yeast and bacteria activity and limit the production of off flavours and Brettanomyces will be detected early. </p> <p> Only consider oak use if the fruit is ripe enough both in sugars, flavour and body. </p> <p> Pad filter wines a week before bottling. Put through a membrane filter 1 micron at bottling.</p> </div> <div id="footerHolder"> <img src="images/footer-banner.jpg" alt="" width="690" height="97" /></div> </div> </body> </html>