When to press Merlot Wine ?

[artooks]

Hi Everyone,

This is my second year in winemaking and this year I am planning to make a Merlot Wine, as far as I understand this type of wine needs longer maceration time, like 10-12 days. In order to extract full color and making a bold wine, What do you think ? How long should the maceration period last ? How many days ? I was told that in order to diminish the risk of oxidation it is better to press at SG: 1030 or Brix 7.2, do you agree with this ? Thanks.

 

[winemaker81]

Do not press at 1.030 if you want to make a heavy duty red. If you press that early, you're going to make a light red.

During active fermentation the yeast needs O2 for reproduction, so oxidation is not a problem. It's post-fermentation that O2 becomes a serious hazard. Whoever gave you that advice doesn't understand oxidation in wine.

There are a lot of options for making a big red, and I listed my understanding of the options in this post. Extended maceration is one option.

I add fermentation oak, preferably shredded oak, but chips work fine. This helps stabilize color and preserve grape tannin. I use Scottzyme Color Pro which helps with color extraction and increases body and tannin -- there are other good choices; this is what I use.

Ferment until done -- don't press early. This year I'm considering pressing 3 days after fermentation ceases. During that time the wine is outgassing heavily, so oxidation is unlikely (I'll put the lid on the Brutes, which is not a tight seal, but should contain the CO2).

At pressing time, use rice hulls to maximize extraction of wine from the pomace -- it makes a significant difference. You can reserve the last bit of wine extracted, which will be harsher, and age it separately. I have used this for barrel topup, as it adds complexity.

 

[artooks]

Do not press at 1.030 if you want to make a heavy duty red. If you press that early, you're going to make a light red.

During active fermentation the yeast needs O2 for reproduction, so oxidation is not a problem. It's post-fermentation that O2 becomes a serious hazard. Whoever gave you that advice doesn't understand oxidation in wine.

There are a lot of options for making a big red, and I listed my understanding of the options in this post. Extended maceration is one option.

I add fermentation oak, preferably shredded oak, but chips work fine. This helps stabilize color and preserve grape tannin. I use Scottzyme Color Pro which helps with color extraction and increases body and tannin -- there are other good choices; this is what I use.

Ferment until done -- don't press early. This year I'm considering pressing 3 days after fermentation ceases. During that time the wine is outgassing heavily, so oxidation is unlikely (I'll put the lid on the Brutes, which is not a tight seal, but should contain the CO2).

At pressing time, use rice hulls to maximize extraction of wine from the pomace -- it makes a significant difference. You can reserve the last bit of wine extracted, which will be harsher, and age it separately. I have used this for barrel topup, as it adds complexity.

Thanks a lot for the explanation and tips.

 

[Snafflebit]

I like to cold soak Merlot to have some extraction done before fermentation, so that I worry less about oxidation from an extended maceration. But, I think you will need to actively try to slow down your ferment to reach 12 days, and also I have never had issues with oxidation even for 5 days after reaching 0.99 SG ( the longest amount of days I dare to wait)

I will give protective oak tannins a try sometime during ferment. I hear good things about them, and the low- to no-sulfur wines are using it to protect the wine from oxidation.