Although well known for his expertise with chardonnay Ortman s latest work with affordable pinot noir, sauvignon blanc, cabernet sauvignon, syrah and merlot is amazing. At Meridian assistant winemakers John Crandall walked us through a series of fine values wines that should make an impact in Canada. Delestage' sometimes known as 'rack and return' is apparently the reason. The process takes place during the active fermentation of red wine usually every other day, sometimes daily. The juice is drained from the fermenter into a stainless steel tub with a screen, then pumped into another tank.
Aeration is encouraged during each movement.
The cap rests on the bottom of the original tank for one to two hours. It is critical that the cap be completely drained to express the softer, less aggressive tannins. After resting, the cap is quickly and gently flooded with the juice as it returns via a pump-over tool. The cap percolates up through the juice, which encourages color and flavour extraction without harshness. Similar to punch-downing the cap, it gently extracts color and structure from the fruit.