Behind the scenes of the winery

Maison Jean Loron is one of the oldest and largest wine owners in southern Burgundy. In addition to the wineries acquired over the decades with several hectares in ownership, Maison Jean Loron is also a winemaker and winematurer, the main winery is located at the headquarters of the House in Pontanevaux.

Oenologist and cellar master, Rodolphe Dumont has been the guardian of the wine temple of this winery for almost 20 years. Omnipresent since the harvest which ended almost a month ago, Rodolphe takes us behind the scenes of wine at a time when alcoholic fermentations are just ending. A phase of “cleansing” is currently being carried out in the cellars, with the racking of the wines.

“The vinification period is like a birth, it is a wonderful but delicate stage which requires a lot of rigor and constant attention”. Indeed, each vat is tasted daily to closely follow the evolution of this magical period of fermentation.

** White wines from Mâconnais: To date, almost all alcoholic fermentations have been completed, that is to say that the yeasts have finished their work of transforming sugar into alcohol. To follow this development, laboratory analysis of sugars is essential, but tasting and visual control are just as important. This crucial moment when the yeasts perform their work in a natural way can be accompanied by the cellar master, in particular thanks to the temperature control. It is indeed notable that the production of aromas is favored around 20 ° C, a temperature that it is sometimes necessary to readjust during this cooler period. The racking period will also begin: it involves removing the natural impurities (residues of skins and grape stems) which have precipitated by decantation at the bottom of the tank. The resuspension of the fine lees (the “dead” yeasts), which contain interesting particles to bring complexity and richness to the wines, will shortly also come. Finally, the second so-called malolactic fermentation which makes it possible to bring complexity and to lower the acidity of the wines will take place over 1 or 2 months, this one is controlled via the analyzes in the oenological laboratory of the acidities.

** The red wines of Beaujolais: The work is the same but unlike the whites, the racking will therefore give rise to a new choice of container (wood, stainless steel or cement) for maturing the wines not necessarily identical to the one where the first fermentation took place. It is in this last phase that the malolactic fermentations will take place over 2 or 3 months, even until spring with the warming of temperatures.

2020 seems to be a very promising vintage …