5.4.3 Racking

How often should the wine be racked?

When deciding racking frequency, there are various factors to consider.
These can be divided into three main categories:

Microbiological risks

The primary risk is once again B. bruxellensis. Racking clarifies the wine and therefore eliminates the population present in the lees.
Microbiological monitoring can be used to decide whether to advance or delay racking. Moreover, when the barrels are aged on their sides, it is not possible to readjust the free SO2 level. Regular racking and monitoring are necessary. Collecting samples when the wine is aged with a side bung is inconvenient as it requires piercing the bottom of the barrel.

Oxygen requirements

A wine with a significant amount of tannins that are highly reactive to oxygen will be resistant. Regular rackings are therefore beneficial in order to polymerize the tannins and improve the wine's organoleptic properties, especially astringency perception. For more delicate wines (less reactive tannins and/or aromatic markers sensitive to oxygen such as thiols), it is better to reduce oxygen exposure.
It is possible to modulate the amount of oxygen added during racking and adjust it as required, even when racking regularly. During racking at the beginning of the ageing process, the addition of oxygen can improve the organoleptic profile.
When the ageing is more advanced, a racking protected from air is potentially advisable.

Clarification

The purpose of clarification is to eliminate coarse lees early in the ageing process and thereby prevent the development of defects such as reduction. In addition, as the ageing process progresses, clarification decreases turbidity and therefore improves the wine's properties before filtration and bottling.

When should racking(s) be performed?

Various rackings are necessary, for example when blending or after fining.
From a microbiological point of view, a racking before the summer, i.e. before the temperature rises, is appropriate. The decision is then made on a case-by-case basis according to the wine's requirements, for example:

• Prior to summer to avoid Brettanomyces development.
• Before harvest for logistical reasons.

For example, at Château Latour, racking is carried out every 3 to 4 months to clarify the wine, avoid microbiological risks and provide oxygen.
Conversely, at Clos de Tart, the first racking takes place around May during the blending.
At the Domaine d'Eugénie, there is no racking during ageing unless there are reduction problems, which was the case for some batches in 2014 and 2013.

The risks of B. bruxellensis development are often lower for Pinot Noir. Moreover, it is a grape variety that requires less oxygen, so more spaced out rackings are more appropriate.

What are the various racking methods and their differences?

Various racking methods can be used:

• Pump racking: the fastest method using a pump
• Traditional racking by candlelight
• Barrel to barrel without a racking tube
• Barrel to barrel with a racking tube

• The main difference lies in the oxygen introduced into the wine during this operation. For more details, see the section on Oxygen management.