Step 3
of 4
Extended Maceration
Days, sometimes weeks, after fermentation ends. When yeast finishes its work, the wine is dry — no sugar left. Normally, this is when winemakers press the wine off the skins. But some leave it in contact for additional days or even weeks. This is extended maceration.
What it does is counterintuitive. The harsh, green tannins released early in fermentation bind together and fall out of the wine over extended time. The remaining tannins are smoother, more silky. A wine that needed 5 years to soften in the bottle can be ready in 2.
Extended maceration is the secret behind many icon Argentine Malbecs that taste polished and rich straight out of the gate. It's also expensive — every extra day is a tank not making the next vintage.
