are you faced with under-ripe and pyrazines?
In cold years, under-ripe fruit can present challenges with Pyrazines and other under-ripe characters. For pyrazines, it is important to address them at the earliest stages of the winemaking process to get the best results. Working to cover up pyrazines at the end is too late and will be more expensive, less effective, or not effective at all.
white grapes
- The use of oak during primary fermentation, during ML and while aging can help to mitigate off-aromas, flavors, structure, and mouthfeel deficiencies associated with underripe fruit.
- Ferment all varieties on 1-3 g/L Untoasted or Light Toast Oak to improve texture, sweetness, weight and preserve aromatics.
- Rack off of gross lees onto 0.5 – 2.0 g/L Untoasted or Light Toast oak to improve weight, prevent oxidation, and preserve aromatics.
- For wines where oak impact is desired, age the wine with Medium Toast and higher oak toasts to ripen the fruit in the nose and mouth.
red grapes
- Use of oak throughout the winemaking process will help preserve the color extracted from the skins and help mitigate and mask under-ripe green characters (Pyrazines).
- Add 4#/ton Untoasted or Light Toast Oak in conjunction with Enological Tannins to either the hopper or straight into the fermenter. Use higher dose rates for more underripe fruit to promote color stability, texture, and to help minimize green characters.
- Cold soak is not advised as this practice would only accentuate green off-notes
- Extended maceration is also not advised for the same reasons.
- Post-pressing – once wine is confirmed RS dry, rack off or centrifuge off gross lees immediately onto 1-3 g/L Untoasted or Light Toast oak to promote color stability, improve wine structure and aromatics, and to prevent oxidation during ML.
- Heavy dosing of Micro Ox prior to ML is your best opportunity to mitigate pyrazines and deal with green tannins. Not advised for light bodied reds like Pinot Noir.
- Choose a toasted oak during aging with a Medium Plus or higher toast and at a higher dosage rate than you typically use to help mask any remaining green characters.
- Something to Consider: Flash détente or Thermo Vinification have been shown to be highly effective in reducing pyrazines and extracting color in under-ripe red grapes.
If you run into any problems and need professional intervention, I’m just an email or phone call away.
-Jason Dodge, Managing Director, Winemaking