emile
Member
The yeast comments from Jasper Morris' Inside Burgundy are interesting especially those related to cellar yeast influence on fruit grown outside the AOC location of cellar.
For instance, does Mugnier's NSG Clos de la Marechale now have Chambolle character because the juice is fermented in Chambolle and possibly by Chambolle yeast?
Does a larger Producer such as Jadot in Beaune impart Beaune character on every appellation produced due to Beaune yeast in cellar?
Hi Emile - good question :o)
Yes every wall and every surface in the cuverie will have it's own yeasts - I would discount tanks to a large extent because they will have been washed/sanitised with pwer-washers and plenty of SO<sub>2</sub>.
The grapes themselves will have the most significant population of yeasts by volume - so they are site specific - but there is surely a smaller amount of cuverie yeast involveed. How much I have no idea.
Mugnier would be a good example, but I'd counter that example with Fourrier who, like Mugnier, also makes quite a detailed 'Chambolle-esque' style but he does it in Gevrey...
:o)
Andy Leslie
Member
The little bits of sciencey stuff I have read around this area suggest to me that there is lots that isn't known! I'm sure I have read that when the fermentation is natural (i.e. without added yeast) then the yeast profile of the fermenting juice is very complex. There will be a number of different yeasts on the grapes/in the cuverie at the beginning of the process. As I understand it, the fermentation may start with one variety of yeast but others may proliferate and take-over the fermentation as it proceeds, so that actually the whole process is completed by waves of different yeast types. I got the impression that how and why any of this occurs and to what extent matters was yet to be elicited.
Oh, and hello everyone!
First post, and on a technical matter. Don't get the wrong impression - I'm not in the biz, and others may know better on this stuff!
Andy
Joachim
Member
Here in Germany, its kind of a controversy if you should add cultivated yeast or just use the natrual "wild yeast" (as its called here). Of course the bio-dynamic growers just use the wild yeast, claiming that this is a profound part of the terroir (and I agree). On the other hand, the cultivated yeast gives you more control over the whole process and and a more constant result, while the people using wild yeast are producing a pretty different wine every year. Or at least taking the risk of having different results even in the same vintage in different casks. I like it - wine is still a natural product, and that makes the whole thing so exciting.
Of course this is not possible if you produce big amounts of wine for supermarket buyers who expect the same taste in every bottle, every year. Luckliy, Burgundy is different
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