Alcoholic fermentation : the first fermentation which transforms the grapes’ sugar into alcohol.
Barrel : the oak Bordeaux barrel contains 225 litres.
Blending : Médoc wines are the result of the blending of several grape varieties thus guaranteeing their balance.
Bontemps : a small, wooden cup in which the egg whites used for fining the wine in the barrel are whisked. Also called the « desquet » in the Médoc dialect.
Bung : the name given to the stopper closing the barrel.
Colour change : the time when the grape on the vine starts to take on its final colour.
Crushing : a technique used to burst the grapes open and release their juice.
Destemming : separation of the individual grapes from the stalks and removal of the stems.
Devatting : a technique used to draw off the wine leaving all the solids in the bottom of the vat and to separate the free-run wine from the press wine produced by the marc during pressing.
Fining : this operation consists of adding whisked egg whites to the wine in the barrel and mixing them to clarify the wine.
First wine and second wine : with his concern for quality, the Cellar Master makes a selection according to the vines and terroirs so as to obtain a great wine with a high quality and ageing potential (the first wine) and a second wine that can be enjoyed earlier.
Flowering : blooming of the flowers which, once fertilised, which grow into grapes.
Humus : the blackish residue from the decomposition of organic matter essential for the growth of vegetal species.
Malo-lactic fermentation: second fermentation to transform the malic acid into lactic acid, thus ensuring a natural reduction of the wine’s acidity.
Manure : fertiliser.
Marc : the solid residue from the maceration of the wine. It is removed from the vat once the wine has been run off and then pressed.
Oenology : the science of vinification and ageing of wines.
Parcel selection : a technique which consists of distributing the grapes harvested from each parcel into individual vats to monitor the development of the wine with precision.
Polyphenols : all the phenolic compounds, anthocyanins and tannins which play a vital role in the colour of the wine and its tasting qualities. Their beneficial effect on health has been recognised thanks to their anti-oxidant properties.
Pressing : an action performed to press the marc from the bottom of the vat to obtain the press wine.
Pumping-over : an operation which consists of pumping the liquid from the bottom of the vat, during fermentation, up over the cap to homogenize the fermentation process and to intensify the colour of the wine.
Racking : a technique used to transfer the wine from one barrel to another to enable the separation of the lees from the wine.
Rootstock : the plant or root on which the scion of a noble grape variety is grafted.
Stalks : all the parts of the bunch holding the individual grapes.
Tannin : an organic product contained in the pips, the skin and the stalks of the grape. It contributes to the ageing of the wine, especially in red wines.
Training wires : the support used to hold the vines in the Médoc.
Ullage : an operation performed during the first year of aging which consists of topping up each barrel to replace the wine that had evaporated.
Variety : the name given to the different grape types.
Vatting : time during which the wine is left in the fermentation tank.
Wicking : the introduction of a lighted sulphur wick into the barrel to kill any bacteria present thanks to the sulphur gases given off by the wick.