Grape Reception:
The delicate Albariño grape arrives in well-ventilated plastic boxes each weighing no more than 20 Kg. The boxes are weighed on electronic scales, checked carefully for their sanitary state, and then each individual load is analysed in our laboratory. Boxes are then carefully emptied into a funnel directly above our presses, meaning that pumps or conveyors are not required. The detail of each load is recorded on computer, enabling us to trace the progress of each delivery throughout the wine making process.
Pressing:
Arriving from the reception hall above, the whole bunches are pressed slowly and gently using two Vaslin-Bucher pneumatic presses. The grape juice is then immediately cooled using a heat exchanger located directly in the pressing hall. (After pressing the grape skins are emptied into large plastic sacks ready for dispatch to the distillery to be made into Aguardiente).
Settling:
The juice descends, once again by gravity, into stainless steel tanks and is allowed to settle for 24 hours. During this time the temperature of each tank is strictly controlled to prevent the onset of alcoholic fermentation. Once all impurities have settled at the base of the tank, the cleaned must can then be racked off.
Fermentation:
Throughout fermentation temperature is constantly monitored and strictly controlled. At Castro Martin we prefer a long, slow fermentation to produce a wine of greater depth and complexity. Depending on the vintage perhaps when the natural acidity is a little elevated we allow up to 20% of the wine to undergo a further malolactic fermentation.
Lees ageing:
Once the fermentation is complete the exhausted yeast cells settle at the bottom of the tanks – these are known as the ‘lees’. This natural deposit still contains many beneficial nutrients, and by storing our wine in tank for a prolonged period, it is allowed to ‘feed’ and gain additional character and complexity. This lees ageing technique is applied to every tank of wine in our cellar and extends for a period of approximately six months.
Cold Stabilisation & Filtration:
Once the wine has been removed from its lees, it is ready for cold stabilization and filtration. Cold stabilization is carried out by rapidly chilling the wine to approximately -6°C during which time tartrate crystals are precipitated and fall to the bottom of the tanks. (This procedure prevents formation of tartrate crystals in the bottle whilst the bottle is chilled for serving). The final process is a light filtration using fine earth, before returning to tank and storing under a blanket of Nitrogen prior to bottling.
Bottling:
The bottling line itself is sterilized using hot water, and consists of machinery for bottle rinsing, filling, adding corks, capsules and self-adhesive labels (including the special label of the Domination of Origin). Following this the bottled wine is allowed at least one month to recover before it is finally released for sale.