Chaptalization

[Mark Sommelier]

I know that chaptalization is allowed in Burgundy. I drink a fair amount of both white and red Burgundy. I always wonder if people can tell if a red wine has been chaptalized by the taste. Certain vintages are always suspect. Any comments?

[Andre]

Greetings mark,

If the wine maker adds in grape juice, it is dificult to tell apart. An extra fizz should be the only apparent difference. If he adds in any other type of sugar, their will be a slight stinging notion while swallowing the wine [ common to sweetened cheap Muscat wines ].

Such practices are also common for Chianti in a method called "governo" when very sweet dried grape must is added for refermentation.

Also:

The wine might turn out slightly alcoholic.

Higher alcoholic content compared to other wines in the area.

Less astringent when young.

Not an easy job to detect , especially in the case of Pinot.

[Craig Camp]

Wines that are over-chaptalized or over-acidified always seem disjointed to me. Like the parts are all there but they just don't fit together. I would describe it as more a textural sensation than taste or aroma. The higher alcohol that results from over-chaptalization always seems to stick out and never integrates into the wine. The wines seem 'clunky" if you know what I mean. With acid it always seems to bite your tongue in a strange way.

[ctgm]

I go along with Craig and find that the level of sugar that the wine has does not fit in with the rest of the package and is extremely disjointed. Of course this is dependent on the amount of sugar that has been added. I like to think that I can pick out a chaptilized wine but..............

I can't recall the law, but when I was in Bordeuax during 1991-1993, we chaptilized every vintage to add about 0.75-1% alcohol.

As an aside to Craig's comments about tampering with the acid, I know of a vineyard that put too much ascorbic acid in the wines. To start off with there were no problems but a few years down the line they seemed to age unnaturally quickly and deepened to a very deep golden/yellow colour earlier than they should have.

Edited September 16, 2003 by ctgm (log)

[Carema]

Most australian wines are chapitalized. They say enhanced. Since I am known as sugar bitch in some circles I can taste (and love it) right away. However I do not always buy it. When something is re-acidified, it smells like when my mom used to make meringues and she added cream of tartar. I always remembered that smell and I smell it in added acid wines. But then I have been told that high alcohol wines taste sugary which doesn't make sense to me chemically since the higher the alcohol the less soluable grape sugar in the juice, right??!!?? Is it a trick? But then I always ask about RS in those wines and find that there always is some. Are those Zin grapes really that damned sugary to begin with that there is some RS after a fermentation to 15.7%. Jeez lousie. Which is kind of off topic but I think it is important to point out the difference between chapitalized wines and those with 'residing' (residual) sugar.

The point is, right now all I have for white is an oxidized sample of a white Dao from Portugal. It is the afternoon before my day off. I have added some Limonata San Pelligrino to make it more palatable. Is this legal chapitalization? Or have I broken some DOC law? I have left several menacing voice messages on the phone of the rep who left me this treasure. He also gave me two other bottles: 1996, 1997 B. Mascarello Barolo Cannubi so I cannot hate him too much. We are planning a pheasant dinner around these so I shall report back if you guys wish. Ciao.

[Craig Camp]

1996, 1997 B. Mascarello Barolo Cannubi so I cannot hate him too much. We are planning a pheasant dinner around these so I shall report back if you guys wish. Ciao.

They still have 96 left? Cretini! It sould be great. Are they cutting you a deal on it? How can they clam to sell wine if they still have a vintage like 96 left? Well good for you! Please report back on the wines and the dinner. I hope they didn't boil the Barolo in their warehouse.

Good comments on the acid. One thing though is that alcohol actually tastes sweet (other than the burn) so adds a sweet impression on the palate.

[Carema]

It sould be great. Are they cutting you a deal on it? How can they clam to sell wine if they still have a vintage like 96 left? Well good for you! Please report back on the wines and the dinner. I hope they didn't boil the Barolo in their warehouse.

.

The guy had never heard of it. Do you think it will be good he asks. I totally poker faced him. "It is a little old" I say. But no, the prices are high so maybe I will be able to cut a deal. I know it is about 38 bucks in Italy so maybe it will be almost 2x as much here, we will see.

[Craig Camp]

It sould be great. Are they cutting you a deal on it? How can they clam to sell wine if they still have a vintage like 96 left? Well good for you! Please report back on the wines and the dinner. I hope they didn't boil the Barolo in their warehouse.

.

The guy had never heard of it. Do you think it will be good he asks. I totally poker faced him. "It is a little old" I say. But no, the prices are high so maybe I will be able to cut a deal. I know it is about 38 bucks in Italy so maybe it will be almost 2x as much here, we will see.

Hit the guy hard on the price. There are excellent 96's all over the states being discounted now. I have seen many top names as low as $20. A single vineyard like Cannubi under $40 is a great deal. All these companies bought the 96's because of the press hype, but don't know how to sell great Italian wine only $100 California Cab. Maybe they will cough up some extra samples and you can do a in-store tasting promo and pre-sell the stuff via your e-mail list.

The wine should be great if they did not destroy it.

[ctgm]

Most australian wines are chapitalized. They say enhanced. Since I am known as sugar bitch in some circles I can taste (and love it) right away. However I do not always buy it. When something is re-acidified, it smells like when my mom used to make meringues and she added cream of tartar.

Are you sure that most Australian wines have added sugar? I am more than happy to be proven wrong but I think that the opposite is true as they have high natural sugar levels.

Whilst the Old World chaptilizes to balance the acidity, the New World adds acid to balance the sugar.

[Carema]

Are you sure that most Australian wines have added sugar? I am more than happy to be proven wrong but I think that the opposite is true as they have high natural sugar levels.

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The Australians have some of the least restrictive laws governing what can or cannot be added, subtracted, shoveled in, spooned out etc. So while I cannot offer you empirical evidence to prove my generalization, that is my story and I am sticking by it. And just to add another point, there are many places in the new world where it is uneccessary to add acid: NY, OR, Santa Lucia Highlands- I think climate is more the factor here rather than old vs new world.