The wooden steps under his feet began to creak because of the weight of his body, shaking off some dust, and the thin golden sunlight spilled down through the doorway, and in a trance, there was an illusion of entering another world. Pen "Fun" Pavilion www.biquge.info

The underground cellar is always like this, the smell of hay floating in the air, mixed with a slight factor of alcohol floating, the damp moisture emitted from the walls of large rough stones, and the huge barrels are stacked neatly, stacked on top of each other, almost touching the ceiling, and you can vaguely feel the sparse sunlight falling behind you, and you can enter a different world with your footsteps.

Lu Li has seen a real professional wine cellar at Château Romanée-Conti, and the wine cellar of the ranch is a small one in comparison, but he likes the wine cellar here. Traces of the former beech pastures can be seen everywhere, such as the wine-stained barrels, which show traces of time.

Wine barrels are very special, although the winemaking process is now fully mature, and oak barrels are basically used, but the oak of different regions, oak of different vintages, and oak of different quality have an impact on the fermentation of wine.

French oak and American oak, as well as oak from different parts of the same country, can produce wines that have subtle differences in taste.

What's more, in addition to oak, barrels made of white wood, chestnut, acacia, etc., are also used in different regions.

First of all, the well-known oxidation process, different structures, different types of oak barrels, the speed and weight of air ingress, the impact on the oxidation process, this is different.

Oak barrels provide a perfect environment for oxidation, which also means that the final taste and flavor of the same batch of wine, placed in different oak barrels, will also be slightly different, so the choice of oak barrels is very knowledgeable.

In addition, the aromas of the oak barrels are also incorporated into the wine. In addition to woody notes, depending on how well the barrel is smoked, aromas such as cream, vanilla, toast, toasted almonds, smoke and cloves can be brought to the wine.

The aroma of the oak itself is not the original natural flavor of the wine, but only makes the wine richer, and should not be dominated and robbed of the original natural aroma of the wine. Therefore, the process of making oak barrels, heating techniques, etc., are very delicate and professional parts.

Not only that, but oak also contains tannins, and it is smooth and rough, astringent, and has the same effect as the grape stem, which blends into the wine, which makes the alcohol difficult to drink.

Therefore, during the production process, the oak blocks must be naturally dried for a long time to allow the tannins to soften slightly so that they do not affect the quality of the wine, and the influence of the barrels after use varies from vintage to vintage. Generally speaking, oak barrels that have been used for more than four years are called "old barrels" and can be several times more valuable.

It is precisely because of the special effect of the barrel that the vintage of the winery is so important. The more historic the winery, the more oak barrels are stocked, and the more they study the barrels, the better the wines they make.

These casks from Top of the Clouds were purchased by Jack himself on a trip to France in the famous Transel district, where the oak trees are considered the best storage of Pinot Noir. These casks are truly valuable, have been used for more than a decade and are one of the most important assets of the ranch.

Now, these oak barrels are all filled with red wine, and the cellar that once accumulated dust is once again full of charming aromas.

"Fourteen, let me tell you, this batch of oak barrels is really outstanding. Tony couldn't help but dance excitedly, "Seeing them, I finally believe that this was once an excellent winery, not to mention the previous wines, but these barrels are definitely top quality." ”

"Can it be compared to Romani Conti?" Lu left joked.

Tony nodded vigorously, the affirmative expression made Lu Li stunned, and Tony laughed out loud, "I mean, if it's just wine barrels, these wine barrels can be compared to Yeqiu. ”

Lu Li was a little surprised, the ranch always presented Liz's gift in front of him again in a casual way. Who would have thought that a batch of priceless treasures would be placed in this dilapidated wine cellar?

When your fingertips touch the surface of the barrel, surprisingly, the surface is not rough, but somewhat smooth, and the thin layer of maple paint makes it feel wonderful. However, the occasional wine stains can clearly feel the traces of time.

"Now I'm looking forward to this batch even more. Tony didn't notice that Lu Li was deep in thought, he was still immersed in his excitement, "When we were brewing before, Morgan said that the quality of this batch of Pinot Noir is beyond imagination, the aroma is not only rich, but also rich, I told them that our land is magical, and the products of the organic farm have also been affirmed." ”

Tony's excitement interrupted Lu Li's thoughts, and he came back to his senses, "Can you taste it now? I mean, wine doesn't need to be fermented for a while before the flavor comes out slowly, right?"

Recall that the bottle of Romanée-Conti at the previous auction was known, and it was fermented for twenty-five years.

Younger wines tend to have a heavier tannin sensation and even be sour, making it difficult to taste. It's not the rule, and there are some wines that are best tasted in a year or two, but on the whole, it's true.

This batch of wines from Cloud Peak Ranch has just been brewed, and if you taste it now, won't it be very rushing?

Tony nodded, then shook his head again, "Yes, it's not right. Wine does need to be fermented, but for the winery, we need to identify changes in taste from moment to time, so that we can truly understand the flavor and layers of each bottle. ”

Lu Li suddenly realized.

Although he had not been exposed to really high-end wines when he was in the olive garden, customers often ordered some special vintage wines, but in fact, the warehouse was mostly new wines.

First, because the new wine is cheap, for the olive garden, it is easy to buy and the profit is not good, and the second is because the small winery tends to make more new wine in order to operate the cycle, and it does not need too long fermentation time and does not need too much sedimentation time, and it can be tasted after half a year or a year.

Tony took out a special glass container, which could hold about a liter of liquid, and then walked to the side of the oak barrel, about to turn on the faucet, but the movement stopped slightly, raised his head and looked at Lu Li, "How about it, do you want to try it? This is the first glass of wine on the ranch, this honor should be left to you." ”

Lu Li laughed and waved his hand, "No, this batch of wine was made by you, I think, you pour the first glass by yourself, this is also how it should be." What's more, I'm not sure if there's some magic in your hands, or if there's any special skill that I don't want to destroy. ”

It's an obvious joke.

Tony laughed out loud, "I like that saying, Magic Hands. ”

Lu Li frowned and looked at Tony with disgust, "Why does the same thing feel so dirty when you say it, are you thinking about something else?"

Tony shrugged his shoulders and replied meaningfully, "Who knows." Then he smiled proudly, turned on the faucet, and the crimson liquor flowed down, but the dark red was not viscous, but showed a pearl-colored fluorescence, like silk, flowing down, with a different kind of beauty.

This was the first time Lu Li had seen wine flowing out of the barrel with his own eyes, and it was a truly amazing feeling. Not only because of the influence of the barrels and cellars, but also because he was personally involved in the whole winemaking process, watching the grapes be plucked, then evolved into the must, and finally fermented to become the wine.

Not only the joy of harvest, but also the joy of creation.

At first, I didn't feel it, but after Tony turned off the faucet, the rich aroma of wine began to spread in the air, and my eyes couldn't help but stay on the golden and bronze faucet, looking at the residual wine, dripping down drop by drop, the transparent red emitted a brilliant light, as if it was a magical fountain of immortality.

"Visually, at least, I think it's already won over Romanée Conti. Lu Li's teasing made Tony laugh again.

Tony picked up the glass flask and made a gesture of display, "Since you are so confident, then, we need to taste it well." ”

Lu Li and Tony left the cellar and walked towards the main house.

After more than half a year of cultivation, planting, harvesting and vinification, it is finally time for the wine to be tested.

Although it is still uncertain to say that the new wine is still accurate, and the flavor and taste will change with the precipitation of time, but generally speaking, the taste of the new wine has already laid the foundation, which is the gene, and the congenital deficiency and innate advantage directly determine the height of the future. This is not a sports inspirational movie, you can catch up with hard work, and in the field of wine, the foundation of new wine has already determined the limits of the future.

Thinking of this, Lu Li couldn't help but get a little nervous. It's a lot more exciting than a thoroughbred. Because if the offspring of a thoroughbred doesn't live up to expectations, they can breed a second or third time, but if the wine is not satisfactory, it's a matter of nature, and they can replace the whole land with the soil, but not the weather, the rain, and the wind in Texas.

In the past, Cole said, beech ranch wines were famous, although not as good as horse farms.

Lu Li thought about how much positive impact the space spring could have after being watered for so long. Now, it's a mule or a horse, and it's time to pull it out and slip away.