Winemaking
Bringing out the best of Sauvignon Blanc
Harald Constant, the head winemaker behind Les Fumées Blanches, treats the delicate Sauvignon Blanc grapes with utmost care.
Through this collection, his mission vintage after vintage is to showcase the most complete aromatic profile of this expressive white grape variety.
Four stages are crucial to achieving this result.
The peak of ripeness:
Determining the exact moment when the grapes have reached optimum maturity before harvesting is paramount.
This precise timing is established by regularly tasting the grapes on the vine and conducting laboratory analyses to ensure ideal balance between sugar levels and natural acidity.
The grapes are then machine-harvested in the cool of the early morning.
Protection against oxidation:
From the moment they are harvested, the grapes and juice are meticulously shielded from oxygen to preserve all of their aromas. Modern techniques, such as using a pneumatic press to crush the white grapes under a blanket of inert gases ensures a completely oxygen-free environment. This also extends to skin-contact maceration, which encourages the extraction of the aromas found in the grape skins.
Finally, an oximeter is used throughout the entire bottling process to continuously monitor dissolved oxygen levels and anticipate any anomalies.
Winemaking:
From the moment they are harvested, the grapes and juice are meticulously shielded from oxygen to preserve all of their aromas. This is carefully monitored throughout the winemaking process. Modern techniques, such as using a pneumatic press to crush the white grapes under a blanket of inert gases ensures a completely oxygen-free environment.
This also extends to skin-contact maceration, which encourages the extraction of the aromas found in the grape skins.
Depending on the vintage, the skins remain in contact with the must for approximately 8 hours at low temperatures.
Prior to fermentation, the must is cold-settled at between 8 and 10°C for several days. The gross lees are then removed by filtration and reincorporated.
The majority of Sauvignon’s aromatic compounds are found in the skins and, to a lesser extent, in the pulp. Known as “aromatic precursors”, they are only released during fermentation.
Fermentation takes place at between 16 and 18°C, as this temperature range allows the aromatic profile of Sauvignon to fully express itself.
Depending on the vintage, the wine is aged on its fine lees for several weeks, or even several months.
Blending:
Les Fumées Blanches wines are crafted from a blend of approximately 25 distinct Sauvignon Blanc aromatic and flavour profiles. Each year, head winemaker Harald Constant, alongside Camille Gautronneau and their team of oenologists, taste between 100 and 150 samples before carefully selecting the finest.