Vinification Process
The qualities of a wine depend essentially of the care with the grapes production and the vinification process. At Courmayeur, these elements are leaded according to the best evidence of the enologic science, aiming to obtain the best proprieties of the wines of the Serra Gaucha region. Below, we summarized the principal cares observed at the most important vinification processes used at the winery.
White Vinification
To elaborate the white wines, the care with the grape, in all aspects, is fundamental for the quality of the wines. So, Courmayeur has an accompaniment of the grapes since the maturation till the vintage, aiming to obtain adequate raw material to the elaboration of excellent white wines and base to sparkling wines.
Considering that to elaborate a tranquil white wine (e.g.: Reserva Courmayeur Chardonnay), the grape have to achieve a good maturation degree, with a high sugar amount and little acidity. By the other side, at the elaboration of a base wine for sparkling wine, is more important that the grape has a high acidity, even that its sugar amount would be a little high. This factor will be determinant for the future sparkling wine quality (e.g.: Courmayeur Chardonnay Brut Sparkling Wine).
But only the care with the vineyards isn’t enough to an excellent white wine elaboration. So, Courmayeur uses modern enologic techniques aiming to obtain all qualities of the wine. Arriving at winery, the grapes are selected and submitted to the process of crushing and pressing. The crushing is gentle and delicate, without crush the seeds, what could damage the wine quality. Next, the grapes are pressed for the must extraction. At the pressing, the must are separated in function of its quality. Only the first fraction of the must is used at the elaboration of fine wines, because this has the best conditions to obtain an interesting wine. So, the must is submitted to a static clarification process by cold action. It turns the must clear and free of impurities, ready to be fermented. The alcoholic fermentation is realized by selected yeasts and temperature control. The temperature is controlled about 18 and 20ºC, preserving the aromas and giving the wine a fresh characteristic.
After the fermentation, the wines suffer the tartaric stabilization, being submitted to -4ºC refrigeration per 15 days. The aim of this process is to prevent wine’s precipitations after the bottling.
Subsequent this, the wines are filtered and remain resting in stainless steel tank till to be bottled or the sparkling wine producing.