Wine Aged In Concrete

For about as long as wine has been made in washington there have been two predominent vessels for fermentation and aging.

Wine aged in concrete.

The surface of this vessel added minerality a chalky character and richness to the wine and by allowing the red wine to stay warmer in tanks a better tannin extraction at the end of fermentation. Aging changes wine but does not categorically improve it or worsen it. We typically press still fermenting wines with minimal residual sugar levels. The difference between a wine aged in new oak versus one stored in concrete is enormous he said.

Seek out wines aged in concrete tanks and discover winemaking s happy medium. Oak and stainless steel. The aromas and flavors of a wine stored in a barrica will show the impact of oak and toast. As with barrels concrete tanks come in various shapes and sizes from egg.

The concrete tank came about one hundred years ago and changed the wine industry significantly. Concrete has long been used to ferment and age wine in the old world but has recently gained popularity in the u s. For instance also in napa valley the vice a small batch luxury producer wines uses concrete eggs for 50 of its sauvignon blanc providing a balancing effect to the other half aged in oak. Some authorities state that more wine is consumed too old than too young.

There is a widespread misconception that wine always improves with age or that wine improves with extended aging or that aging potential is an indicator of good wine. Varietals are fermented and aged in barrels usually made from french or american oak or in stainless steel tanks depending on the type of wine however there is a new fermenting medium that is slowly but consistently growing amongst winemakers using concrete to ferment and age wine. A unique tasting of nine wines from domaine gayda in languedoc in the. The type of vessel tank container that the wine is aged in at the winery can have a crucial influence over its character.

Concrete aged wine has a little more pep in its step says pax mahle owner and winemaker at pax mahle wines. When it comes to the fermentation process wine has been treated the same way for years. Fruitiness deteriorates rapidly decreasing markedly after only 6 months in the.