1. Chemical and organoleptic effects of whole cluster fermentation

2. M.S. Viticulture and Enology from UC Davis Winemaker Wrath Winemaker Scratch Consultant

3. Carbonic Maceration Component Stem Extraction Component

5. “These are not the Droids you are looking for” --Obe Wan Kanobi

6. You will get some carbonic characters but unless you are using a light grape like Gamay Rouge and are doing minimal intervention (anaerobic fermentation) you will not get the characters that we think of when we think of Beaujolais Nouveau—Rose petals, etc. The study by Miller and Howell from AJEV in 1989 concluded that the finished wine will have flavors such as “berries and cinnamon” but will be “softer due to lower extraction of phenols and reduced acidity” I see the same reduced acidity in my fermentations but it is not the result of CM. They assume in this study that the pH differences are due to “catabolism of malic acid in an anaerobic environment.”

11. It is clear to me this is not due to catabolism of malic acid due to my practices in the winery. I have asked many winemakers and professors and I believe my hypothesis is probably true. The acid is binding to the potassium in the stems and is either being pressed off with the must or causing the acid to precipitate.

12. Clone/WC treatmentpHTAAlc. Pommard 4--20% WC3.660.5914.47 Pommard 4--50% WC3.730.5913.91 Pommard 4-50+20% WC3.880.5714.71 P4/115 100% WC3.860.6313.8

13. W2014-09-10-044 - Wrath Wines AF25579 - 14PN828100%-WR Predictive Model Conditions ConditionValue Starting pH3.84 Starting TA (g/L)4.64 pH post ML (no tartaric addition)3.96 TA post ML (no tartaric addition)3.32 Results Table Tartaric AddPre-ML pHPre-ML TATarget pHPost-ML TA g/L (Post ML)g/L 3.693.427.613.506.29 3.233.467.213.555.89 2.803.506.843.595.52 2.303.556.423.655.10 1.933.596.123.704.80 1.493.645.763.754.44 Note: Post-ML TA does not account for weak acids generated during fermentation like acetic and succinic acids. Real post-ML TAs may be higher by greater than 1 g/L. These weak acids do not substantially affect pH. 1g/L Tartaric acid = 8.34 lbs/1000 gals.

14. W2014-09-10-044 - Wrath Wines AF25581 - 14PN828WB-WR Predictive Model Conditions ConditionValue Starting pH3.92 Starting TA (g/L)4.81 pH post ML (no tartaric addition)4.08 TA post ML (no tartaric addition)3.51 Results Table Tartaric AddPre-ML pHPre-ML TATarget pHPost-ML TA g/L (Post ML)g/L 3.703.407.773.506.47 3.303.447.433.546.13 2.843.507.033.605.73 2.503.536.743.655.44 2.183.576.473.705.17 1.883.616.223.754.92 Note: Post-ML TA does not account for weak acids generated during fermentation like acetic and succinic acids. Real post-ML TAs may be higher by greater than 1 g/L. These weak acids do not substantially affect pH. 1g/L Tartaric acid = 8.34 lbs/1000 gals.

15. Lot Weighed tonsGallonsBrix I Brix FinalWater add Total GallonsAcid 14PN828WB-WR1.22195.226.824.518.32213.522.5 14PN828100%WC- WR1.02163.227.124.517.31180.512.8

16. LotpHTA 667 20% WC3.700.59 667 100% WC3.830.61 Pommard 4 20% WC3.760.65 Pommard 4 100%WC3.890.68 P4 100%WC+828 100%+P4 Nat3.860.60 828 20% WC3.790.80 828 100% Whole Cluster3.850.62 828 Whole Berry3.670.71

17. Great article by PinotFile http://www.princeofpinot.com/article/865/ Lists Pro Whole Cluster interviews and No Whole Cluster interviews with many winemakers. Pro’s seem to like the spiciness, structure, and complexity the stems give. Anti seem be afraid of the green characters and they all seem to think the rachis needs to be brown.

18. We have to remember that we used to make wine always on the stem. It wasn’t French, it wasn’t German, it just was. I like the characters I get from stems. The spicy notes, the rhubarb aroma, the tannin structure. I like the synergistic effect of the stem pushing the fruit forward. The debate on weather or not we should be using “French” techniques on Californian wines is ridiculous in my opinion. We use a lot of French techniques. I see whole cluster as a tool to make my wines better. I want the structure, I want the complexity. One thing we need to remember is that this is not France. The bigger fruit character concentrations we get in California really lend themselves to the added complexity that whole cluster imparts. It is the best of both worlds, old and new. Now we just have to be careful and manage our pH’s.