The time has come again to join one of our newest 2014 Chardonnay wines on its journey down the path of ageing. We arrive at the post primary fermentation stage, where the wine has its final alcoholic degree registered and can be channeled toward different options of ageing.

When I make a decision on a wine’s ageing process, I first establish a rough layout of our brand needs for the year. This indispensable exercise will shape the destiny of each of our individual lots. Some wines will spend time in tanks or in barrels going through the secondary fermentation: the malolactic fermentation.

At this stage, extracting maximum flavor is truly the goal. As the name “malolatic fermentation” implies, it is a form of fermentation. Unlike a yeast type of fermentation, no alcohol is produced. Instead, malic acid is converted into lactic acid by lactic acid bacteria. As it shows below, imagine the taste of green apple or sour candy transforming into the soft taste of butter or a creamy cheese.

The Birth of the Almighty Chardonnay: From Malolactic Fermentation to Ageing  The Birth of the Almighty Chardonnay: From Malolactic Fermentation to Ageing  The Birth of the Almighty Chardonnay: From Malolactic Fermentation to Ageing

Malolactic fermentation is often associated with red wines and some Chardonnays. Both fermentations, with the yeasts and the lactic acid bacteria, help with the final stability of the wine. A bottle of wine not treated can blow out the cork, taste terrible, become cloudy, bubbly and lack flavor. The process also reduces acidity, and you can really taste the difference between wines that undergo malolactic fermentation and wines that do not.

In 1978, Matanzas Creek Winery was built on top of a dairy farm. During the first few years of production, the winemaker noticed that the wine was undergoing malolactic fermentation without any addition of bacteria. After analysis and isolation, they discovered that the site had a unique strain of bacteria from the former dairy production. This strain, called MZW, named after Matanzas Creek Winery, is now sold worldwide and is one of the best strains for Chardonnay wines.

Our wine completed its primary and secondary fermentation a few days ago. I am going to separate this lot in half to do an experiment.

One portion will stay in tanks and will gain complexity using toasted oak cubes.

The Birth of the Almighty Chardonnay: From Malolactic Fermentation to Ageing

The second trial will be using traditional barrel ageing for the next few months.

The Birth of the Almighty Chardonnay: From Malolactic Fermentation to Ageing

The Birth of the Almighty Chardonnay: From Malolactic Fermentation to Ageing

The goal of this experiment is to explore what kind of grapes a vineyard and its terroir give you. The second step is to learn their potential by exposing the wine to different treatments. Every few weeks over the next few months, I will taste the results in order to decide if there is enough complexity, oak flavors and richness in the wine. It is a tough job but somebody has to do it!

I’m looking forward to introducing this Chardonnay and all of our 2014 vintage wines in the coming 2015 calendar year, under our existing and new brands.