Process
Racking or soutirage is a traditional method in wine production of moving wine from one barrel to another using gravity rather than a pump. The process is repeated when the casks are moved to the second-year cellar. Soutirage was developed in the Bordeaux region of France in the 19th century at a time when there was no electricity to power pumps. Many estates such in Bordeaux and some estates in Pomerol and St. Emillion still employ this labor-intensive method. During aging, the wine is decanted several times from barrel to barrel. This process softens tannins, clarifies the wine and enhances aromatic qualities. According to Oz Clarke, "traditionally the wine is 'racked' or drawn from barrel or tank to another empty one on a number of occasions (called soutirage). This helps clarify and freshen the wine by removing the fine lees or sediment which forms and provides a tiny amount of oxygen to help the aging process. The wine may also be 'fined' (collage) using egg white or other materials to settle out particles in suspension which are then removed through further racking." Egg white is often applied to each barrel during the process. Several notable winemakers including Jean-Claude Berrouet and Daniel Baron still use the process as they believe it produces a higher quality wine. Twomey Cellars's Napa Valley Merlot is made using the soutirage process.
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