1 February, 2022
1,100 bottles of »Les Vrilles« and 4,000 bottles of »Le Rayon Blanc« are being bottled. »Les Doyennes« and a sweet wine (800l) will be bottled much later, the sweet one quite possibly only in a few years; the oxidative one we’ll bottle by hand next Saturday. In the afternoon, for almost two hours, I measure the density and temperature of the liquids in the 23 barrels that contain the 2021 vintage. I’m also supposed to taste the contents of each barrel and note any abnormalities. Mine, number 8, is tasting great (see below). But it’s not completely dry, i.e. fermented to the end. I then fill the barrels with wine, to minimize oxidation, and wash them with hot water. At night, in bed, I watch a few German pruning videos on YouTube, but they don’t give me any insight.
The bottling machine
New, empty bottles
An empty wire basket in which the filled bottles are stored
Empty bottles waiting in line to be filled with wine
Bottles being filled
Thomas’s wine notes lying on top of my barrel #8
Thomas’s (and my) wine notes, stating the days of the harvest, the parcel, the density of the wine (showing how much sugar has already been turned into alcohol) and the temperature of the liquid. My note says: »pleased with it, nice balance, good acidity, like 6« (referring to barrel 6). Yes, in the book I spelt ›acidity‹ incorrectly
Topping up a barrel with wine to minimize oxidation