Enology

Other Considerations

Racking

When racking in the first year the wines are splashed to attain some oxygen pickup (1-2 ml/liter).  When racking in the second year, depending on the wines tannin level, the wine may receive less aeration.  When racking in July of the second year  before bottling, the wine is moved to  the bottling tank without a pump and without oxygen pickup.  The cellar workers use pure nitrogen under pressure to push the wine out of the barrels and to the bottling tank.