Deconfinement and Spring Go Hand in Hand with Walks! What About Our Wines? Do They Need to Breathe or Stay Confined?
Oxygen plays a crucial role in the aging of red wines.
In large quantities, it is dangerous as it causes oxidation of the aromas (resulting in a “rotten apple” taste) and color, and promotes the proliferation of acetic bacteria that turn the wine into vinegar.
In small quantities, however, it helps soften the tannins and stabilize the color – by binding the tannins and anthocyanins – as well as promoting the development of the aromatic bouquet.
This leads to two rules:
- Red wines need more oxygen than white wines. The tannins (which are only present in red wines) mellow by binding with oxygen, preventing it from binding to the aromas and oxidizing them.
- Young wines need more oxygen than older wines.
During barrel aging, the wood allows for a slow and continuous aeration of the wine. Then, once in the bottle, Château Chêne-Vieux and Château de Musset “breathe” thanks to the cork, which allows a limited amount of oxygen to enter.
When tasting, old vintages don’t need to be decanted. On the contrary, this could oxidize the aromas! However, aerating a young wine helps remove reductive aromas (like “rotten egg,” related to sulfur, which is used to protect the wine from oxygen and is synthesized by yeast during fermentation) and lets the other aromas open up while the tannins soften. Allow about 3 hours for tannic wines.
After reading this post, and after a cross-tasting of our wines, you will notice that Château Chêne-Vieux, being more tannic, can age longer without the risk of oxidation compared to Château de Musset…
After the lockdown and the promotion of our 2008 vintages, it’s now time for tastings with friends (in limited numbers)!
Upon receiving your order, allow the wine to rest for a few days after its journey before drinking it.
