The end of the alcoholic fermentation marks the creation of a new wine and the initiation of its maturation. Its characteristics begin to change and its character is defined.
The majority of the white wines remain in tanks at low temperature (12-16C). It is only some Chardonnay which is normally transferred to new French oak barrels, even before fermentation is over. This, along with the maturation on the fine lees (“sur lies”), gives to the wine a variety of aromatic notes and a pleasant creaminess.
On the other hand, most of the reds are transferred to the oak barrels, where they will also mature on the fine lees with periodic stirring (“batonage”). Malolactic fermentation of the red wines, which also takes place, shortly after fermentation, is also critical, contributing as well, to the disappearance of the “green aromas” and to the wine becoming rounder, more complex and more attractive.
Maturation in the barrels may last from 12 to 36 months. Apart from the length of the maturation, parameters such as the cooper, the type of barrel, the forest from which the wood for the barrels is sourced from, the toasting level, etc. are all taken into consideration by the winemaker, to allow each wine to better express its personality.
The maturation process is interfered only by bottling. The filling of the bottles –always new bottles – is performed under inert gas to disperse oxygen, which could otherwise, cause the wine to age prematurely. In fact, this is the last phase of a rather “minimal” winemaking process. However, these wines are never released immediately to the market. They stay in the winery for a couple of weeks or months, depending on the wine. During this period of bottle aging, each wine continues to mature, to evolve and to develop an even more intriguing character.