How does a clear-juiced fruit become a deep, intense, and structured purple wine? At Domaine du Père Auguste, red winemaking is a work of patience and precision, where every decision made by the winemaker influences the color, tannins, and the final bouquet of the cuvée.

The skin: the reservoir of color and structure

The first thing to know is that, whether dealing with white or black grapes, the juice contained in the pulp is almost always colorless. The secret of the red color lies exclusively in the skin (pellicle) of the grape berry.

It is within this skin that two fundamental elements are hidden:

• Anthocyanins: These are the natural pigments that give the wine its color, ranging from brilliant ruby to deep purple.

• Tannins: These molecules provide the wine with its structure, mouthfeel, and aging potential.

Maceration: the key stage of extraction

To transfer these components from the skin to the juice, we practice skin contact maceration. Unlike white wine, which is pressed immediately, red wine is created through prolonged contact between the liquid and solid phases.

Once the grapes are placed in vats, alcoholic fermentation begins, and the alcohol produced acts as a solvent that helps extract tannins and color. Depending on the type of wine sought at the Domaine, this period can last from one to four weeks:

• Short maceration: For supple, fruity, and easy-to-drink wines.

• Long maceration: For our age-worthy cuvées, which are richer, more complex, and full-bodied.

The winemaker’s work: punching down and pumping over

During this maceration, the skins rise to the surface and form what is called the “cap” (chapeau de marc). To extract the best from the grapes, we must put these skins back in contact with the juice:

• Pumping over (Remontage): Juice is pumped from the bottom of the vat and poured over the top.

• Punching down (Pigeage): The cap is gently pushed down into the juice.

Pressing and running off

Once the balance between color, aromas, and tannins is deemed perfect, we proceed to running off (écoulage). We then separate:

1. Free-run wine: The juice that flows naturally from the vat, often the most refined.

2. Press wine: Obtained by pressing the remaining skins, it is richer in tannins and color.

The blending of these two juices, followed by aging, gives birth to our characteristic red wines of the Loire terroir, combining finesse and character.

> What is a “saignée” (bleeding) method?