 ExtractionMany of the compounds responsible for a wine’s color, tannins and flavor reside in the skins, stems and seeds of the grape. Depending on the varietal and style of wine being made, the winemaker will employ different techniques to achieve the desired level of extraction. Decisions regarding fermentation temperature, cap management, crushing, destemming and the use of enzymatic additions help determine the level and type of extraction that will occur. Typically “extraction” refers to red wines.
A lower level of extraction results in a red wine that is lithe on the palate, has restrained color and more approachable bright fruit characteristics. These wines don’t require lengthy aging and are great for social occasions. A medium level of extraction brings more complexity, tannic structure and darker color. Some of the simple fruity aromatics (that come from the juice) are traded off for more complex aromatics that are only extracted from the skins of the grape. Highly extracted red wines are all about power – teeth staining color, heavy tannins and downplayed aromatics that sometime require several years of aging to be the most enjoyable.
|
