loader image

A permanent protection against oxidation

To fight against the negative effects of oxidation, the use of cold is preferred throughout the vinification and ageing processes to the bottling.

We strive to produce pleasurable wines, that are fresh, light, delicate, with a crisp fruitiness, and Bas-Armagnacs that are imbued with finesse and elegance.

These qualities are the result of a long process that begins in the vineyard and follows an objective that has always guided the Grassa family: preserving and expressing the natural qualities of each grape variety and their unique aromatic character.
However, to achieve this aromatic potential, oxidation must be avoided at every stage of production, from harvest to bottling.

This fight against oxidation is permanent and continues throughout the entire production process of the estate’s wines.

To this end, we have implemented different processes, which range from the harvest reception in the cellars to the bottling, including pressing, vinification, blending and ageing of the different wines.

During harvest, the berry is separated from the stem: its juice and pulp are then in contact with the air and therefore exposed to oxygen.
Oxidation can have deleterious effects on aromatic precursors. “Aromatic precursors” are molecules naturally present in the grape which will lead to specific aromas during the vinification in the future wine.
A good way to illustrate how oxidation can immediately affect the grapes at the time of harvest is to cut a fresh apple in half. The first half, immediately bitten into, offers all the qualities of the fruit. The second half, left out in open air, becomes brown and its flavours diminish.

How to avoid this? Everything plays out during transport between the vines and the cellar. It is not easy out in the vineyards so the Grassa family took a novel approach: we must bring the cellar to the vineyard, rather than the other way around. Because it’s a race against time, the sooner the harvested grapes are protected, the less chance there is for them to begin oxidating. As soon as the grapes are harvested, they are covered with dry ice which creates an inert atmosphere, avoiding contact with oxygen. The grapes are then transferred to a mobile, isothermal stainless steel tank that is situated at the end of the rows of vines. This mobile vat is then placed on a trailer and brought back to the cellar to be pressed, guaranteeing the grapes’ full protection against oxidation.

For winegrowers, transporting the grapes from the vineyards to the cellar is one of the most critical moments in the whole process of making wine. Our unique method makes it possible to turn what is a potential risk into a positive step, as not only are the grapes protected from oxygen, but they can also begin skin maceration almost immediately.

When transferring the harvest grapes from the mobile vats to the harvest reception conquet, they are once again covered with dry ice.

The frozen wall of one of the estate’s thermoregulated pneumatic press

The grapes are gently pressed in our thermoregulated pneumatic presses in an environment protected from oxygen
The juices flow from the presses via gravity into underground vats in an inert atmosphere.
The musts benefit from cold settling, the juices are fermented at low temperature, fermentation is stopped by cold and not by sulphites. The wines are then stored all year long in tanks at around 0°C.

Finally, the last step of controlling oxidation: the wine is poured into bottles from which all oxygen has been removed.

The use of cold at each production stage is an essential know-how which has required very significant investments at the estate since the 1980s.

All this attention to fight against oxidation, from the grapes’ harvest to bottling, helps guarantee the fresh and crisp characteristic of Domaine Tariquet wines.

The choice of a sustainable viticulture:

preserve and pass on a healthy terroir to future generations of winegrowers.

Click here