|
Only grapes grown at Dalrymple Vineyards are used for making Dalrymple Wines.
All wines are 100% true to label, i.e., Pinot Noir wine is 100% Pinot, Sauvignon Blanc is 100% Sauvignon Blanc etc.
All grapes are hand picked into small 20 kg boxes in the case of sparkling wine, and larger 400 kg boxes for the still wine.
Fortunately, at harvest, the ambient temperatures are around 12-15 C, and we don't have problems of fermentation starting before processing.
In the case of sparkling wine grapes, whole bunches are gently put directly into the pneumatic press.
For the still wines, they are emptied into a hopper, and thence to a Tirage conveyor belt, where diseased or damaged fruit are removed.
In the case of Pinot Noir, they are destemmed, minimally crushed, SO2 and pectolytic enzymes added, and pumped to a fermenter. The majority of the grapes are fermented in a closed fermenter, but a proportion treated with open fermention.
The temperature is minimally controlled, but 25C is not exceeded.
On completion of fermentation, and it is determined that there is no unfermented sugars left, and while the ferment is still warm, Malo-lactic bacteria culture is added, and the wine held in the tank until malo-lactic ferrmentation is completed. The wine is then pumped into clean French oak barrels. If the structure is judged as suficient, up to 70% new oak is used, and this usually is the case.
The wine is kept on wood for a minimum of 10 months.
Individual barrel tasting then determines the amount which will be set aside as premium wine.
The wine is then bottled with minimal filtration , we rarely need to use fining.
The wine improves in the bottle up to 4 years, then reaches a plateau, which is maintained for at least another 8-10 years.
White wine grapes are destemmed, minimally crushed, SO2 added, and pressed in the pneumatic press. Pectolytic enzyme is added to the pressed juice. Sometimes, we press a proportion of whole bunches, and sometimes allow skin contact in a closed press over-night We do not separate free run jiuce from the pressed juice.
The juice is then pumped into a tank, previously filled with CO2. A few hours are allowed at ambient temperature for the enzymes to work, then cooled to 6 C., and cold settled for about 2 days..
The clear juice is then removed into another tank, and fermented.
When the ferment is firmly established, some of the ferment is pumped into French Oak barrels, and the ferment completed. In the case of the oaked wine, weekly lees stirring is carried out for 3-4 months After at least 10 months in the barrels, this wine is homogenised, checked for heat and cold stability, (see below) fined, sterile filtered and bottled.
Heat Stability. To find out if there is any protein still present which might cause a haze, especially if the wine is heated; a sample is heated to 80C for 6 hours. If clear, OK, but if not, then more bentonite may be needed. Check again.
Cold Stability. This, to prevent the formation of tartrate crystals in the bottle, especially if refrigerated.
The whole of the e wine is cooled to -4C, and kept at this temperature for 10 days.
The unwooded wine is then fined, sterile filtered, and bottled.
The Sauvignon Blanc is usually completely unwooded, but occasionally some wooded wine is added.
The unwooded white wines retain the fresh fruit flavours, and drink well for 2-3 years.
The wooded wines take longer to hit their straps, but last longer, too with increasing complexity.
All our wines are now screw-capped, and the sparkling wine will be crown sealed.
Click Pictures below to watch a 360 degree panorama of the winery
NOTE: if you can't see the panoramas, you may need to install Java2.
|
