Bodegas Navarro, S.A.    

MAKING AND AGEING

The two most used systems of maturing or ageing are:
 
Biological maturing or under a veil of “flor” (yeast growth) for finos and amontillados.

Oxidisation maturing for amontillados, olorosos, rayas (a less distinctive oloroso), pedro ximénez (rich and sweet), etc.

The wine destined for the biological maturing has to have the highest virtues of quality and veracity and should be kept for at least one year in tanks before being put into the wood, which is the last row, or “criadera”, as it is called locally. The wine then commences its sojourn in these butts in the cathedral like bodegas.


BIOLOGICAL MATURING OR UNDER A VEIL OF “FLOR” (YEAST GROWTH)

The butts with the greatest capacity and stave thickness are those that are nearest to the floor, in this way being able to sustain the weight of those higher and higher above. These are filled to approximately 4/5 of their capacity, and after a few days, in those destined for biological maturing, small very thin white veils begin to appear on the surface of the liquid, which, due to their shape, are reminiscent of a flower, or “flor”. This “flor” very slowly begins to increase in size until forming a complete veil, which in turn completely covers the surface of the liquid in contact with the air. This bloom has nothing to do with others of a similar texture, which, as a misfortune for the wine and its proprietor, can appear on the surface causing acetification, loss of alcohol, and other evils.
 
The majority of the cordovan flor yeasts, which are spontaneous in each area, are of the Saccharomyces type. Two hundred species are known of, whose nomination and conditions to form a veil are so diverse that is seems preferable, in order to avoid confusion, to simply talk of flor yeasts. The transformation that this has on the base wine is notable, having found in finos several dozen new products that were not found in the original wine. At the same time, other components such as glycerine, malic acid and volatile acidity considerably diminish, and even disappear.

OXIDISATION MATURING

Maturing is called oxidation maturing when the flor slowly disappears, or never really properly forms because of an artificial increase in the alcoholic strength. This is the case, respectively, of the amontillados and of the olorosos, rayas, pedro ximénez, etc. Under these circumstances, the wine is transformed due to exclusively physiochemical phenomena. Those of each type are detailed below:

Physical type phenomena: insolubility, small amounts of gas are given off, volatile evaporation, and solutions of wood components are produced.

Of a chemical type: oxidation, aldehydification, esterification and polysaccharide hydrolysis.

Physiochemical processes: oxide-reduction, polymerisation, and colloid formation and flocculation.

Biochemical processes: cellular autolysis in those wines that have previously undergone biological maturing, such as the amontillados.
Seen by eye, the colouring material of the wine slowly oxidises, changing towards yellow gold, mahogany and topaz tones. On the nose its vinousness is noticeable: light tones of oak wood appear and as also do clear spicy traces reminiscent of cloves, cinnamon and vanilla. The amontillados become even sharper. The sweet wines become dark, almost reaching jet black tones, and, when compared on the nose with wines that have not been matured, a wide range of aromas is perceived, which mainly come from the development of the varietal aromas, which make you think of dates, chocolate, coffee, cocoa…

No other maturing process in the world is similar to this: its creation and use are exclusive patrimony of Andalusia and form part of its culture. Wine has always been the secret drive of inspiration, the magnet of our visitors and generous essence of the land.

THE CRIADERA AND SOLERA SYSTEM

Article 32.2 of the current Montilla-Moriles Denomination of Origin Regulations rules that 40% is the maximum volume that can be drawn off each of the containers maturing fortified wine. For a butt containing 30 ‘arrobas’ (an ‘arroba’ is the equivalent of 16 litres), this means that 12 arrobas can be sold each year. In metric system terms, this means 192 litres.

The litres drawn off from the solera are placed with wines drawn off from the first criadera; the space left in the latter is replaced with liquid from the second criadera, and so on consecutively until reaching the last criadera which can be the sixth or seventh, which, in turn, is the one containing the greatest proportion of the youngest wine. The twelve arrobas mentioned previously are not drawn off all at the same time, but are divided into two, three or even four operations. The refilling operation is called rocío and those of sacar (drawing off) and rociar (replace), running the scale. The aim is to obtain uniform wines in order to maintain a constant quality wine in the market, without ups and downs, and of course, not to depend upon qualities or defects of a particular harvest.

The traditional procedure of running the scale has high labour costs. Due to this it has been partially mechanised, although this does not affect the final quality results.

In short, the described system, apart from maintaining quality, makes the biological maturing possible in the case of the finos, as the new micronutritient yeasts coming from the younger wines, with the aerating caused by the refilling, and the small addition of oxygen, is beneficial for the veil of yeast. In the amontillados and olorosos the aerating accelerates the ageing.
The readers may ask what the average age is of the fino or amontillado that they are drinking. As an example, the wine coming from a four scale system, set up twenty years ago, from which 25% is drawn off four times a year, will have an average age of four years.

                                                               

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