EXTENDED MACERATION

by Jack Costa

It’s like burnt marshmallows; some people love them, others hate them. The topic of extended maceration will undoubtedly elicit a similar array of responses among wine professionals; some

good, some not so good. Regardless of one’s opinion on the matter, the concept of extended maceration remains somewhat convoluted and at times mysterious, even among industry professionals. So, the first question one must ask is, what is extended maceration?

At its most basic level, extended maceration describes the winemaking process of allowing recently fermented red wine to soak on the grape skins (maceration) for an extended period of time. This extended time period might range from 2 weeks to 6 months, or sometimes even longer. When this technique is used with white wines it can create amber or orange wines. For the sake of this article, however, extended maceration will be discussed solely in the context of red winemaking. Some might consider winemakers who experiment with such unconventional wine-making techniques to be fringe, others would call them innovators, and still, others might call them crazy. Ultimately, winemaking, like any other industry, is looking to develop new and unique styles of products that will differentiate

them from their competitors. In recent years, one need look no further than concrete egg fermenters and biodynamic winemaking to see this force for innovation at work.

One might think having wine in prolonged contact with grape skins would significantly increase a wine’s tannin levels. One would be correct. One might also be inclined to think extended maceration would significantly increase the wine’s color intensity, giving wines much deeper shades and hues. In fact, while there is truth to this, the process has been shown (in extreme instances) to be counterintuitive. One study of a 6-month extended maceration of Pinot Noir increased the relative tannin concentration 13 times that of the control group but found the extended maceration process to actually diminish the wine's color. Interestingly, the process was repeated with Zinfandel grapes, but found the extraction of tannin levels to be significantly less. This seems to indicate that not every grape variety will react similarly to the extended maceration process. Furthermore, it was found that even after the wines were bottled for several months, the extended maceration replicates continued to experience a significant decrease in color compared with the study’s control group. Obviously, there are exceptions. Extended maceration can increase color, but only to a certain point before it begins to taper off and decrease.

So why, in some instances, does an extended maceration decrease a wine's color while also increasing astringency? As Emile Peynaud points out in his book ``Knowing and Making Wine``with prolonged pomace contact, the color of the wine may diminish because the anthocyanins (color) settle on the seeds, the skins, the tannins, and eventually on the stems, and color them. The yeasts absorb the anthocyanins and drag them down into the lees.” While this may explain why a wine’s color diminished with extended maceration times, (the color intensity depends on how long the process lasts) what about the increased astringency? The answer to this question remains more straightforward. It is commonly known that a typical red wine's perceived astringency is derived from tannins found in the grape skins. In a similar way, it is thought that extended maceration’s increased astringency comes not only from the grape skins but also from the grape seed tannins. Such tannins generally add a tighter texture to wines, even adding bitterness the longer the grape skins macerate.

To better understand the extended maceration process, one might compare it to whole cluster fermentation. The whole cluster technique involves the inclusion of grape stems in the fermentation process (rather than destemming and allowing the grapes to ferment by themselves). Whole cluster ferments generally

result in wines with a decreased color intensity due to colors being absorbed by the stems. The stems also lend additional tannin to the wine, just as extended maceration wines receive more tannin from the grape seeds. In addition to the wine’s color and tannin levels, sensory and flavor components of whole cluster and extended maceration wines can also be significantly affected.

So, what do extended maceration wines taste like? Various studies have shown the duration of extended maceration to have significant effects on a wine's flavor. In one study, a 30-day extended maceration of Merlot grapes saw a decrease in its pepper flavor, but an increase in fruity aromas. However, it was also found, in some instances, that macerations greater than 30 days began to result in decreases in fruit aromas, sometimes even adding a perceived oxidized note. (The presence of oxidation might result from a lack of inert gas protecting the skins from oxygen over time).

Ben Little, author of Pignolo: Cultivating the Invisible, reported that one grower in Northern Italy’s Friuli-Venezia Giulia region is using the rare grape Pignolo, to conduct extended macerations of 9 months in amphora resulting in a juicy, lively and silky, fruit driven wine. Also in Italy, Cantina Bartolo Mascarello, uses extended maceration periods of between 30-50 days with Nebbiolo grapes.

Extended maceration is not just being developed with old world wines. Intrinsic wines of Washington state’s Château Saint Michelle are performing extended maceration for periods of 9 months! While considered outrageous by some, this rather extreme example of extended maceration has managed to captivate the curiosity of both critics and supporters alike.

Only time will tell if extended maceration is destined to go the way of New Coke or if it can live up to the claims that it creates unique wines with exciting new textures and flavors. It is safe to say the industry should not completely discount the potential usefulness of this unique approach to winemaking, but rather examine it with careful consideration and a generous amount of caution when crafting premium world class wines.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Often asked if he’s even old enough to drink, Jack is a writer, educator, and professional wine judge. The Oregon native studied winemaking under mentor Stephen Reustle and occasionally contributes to the award winning blog Wine Folly.