Don't expect a good piece of writing here. Day eight of being sick and the words get plugged up in the brain, yet, I wanted to start up a conversation.
Last week I received this email from a reader in Portugal:
'At a guide of red wines, that were tested at a consumer magazine here, they detected that about half had not concluded the malolactic fermentation.
That... they hinted... was done intentionally to meet some criteria (prevent too much acidity, or other things), so they admitted... for some reason... it was stopped. Being a consumer magazine, and not a wine magazine, that somehow wasnt seen as a "downer" to the wine."
I have to admit I was surprised. The only red wine I know of with blocked malo is commercial nouveau being rushed to market. Word just in from Roberto in LA, that there is a refosco from Terrano del Carso done without ML. And, looking into it a little deeper, blocking malo in part or in full has been done to preserve freshness in hot climes.
First some background about the issue of malo, even oversimplified.
Historically, left on their own, (meaning without inoculations) in regions with real seasons, wines finish their alcoholic fermentation-- converting their sugar into alcohol --before Christmas. If the wines had already started that second fermentation, malo, (when the hard apple-like acids turn to the more friendly lactic ones) the process is arrested at the onset of cold.
Come warm spring the process resurrects.
Sometimes malo goes and go on and on and even on and on. For example, when I was last in Burgundy (October) some '08 malos were still cranking! Sometimes malo misbehaves and surrenders before alcoholic (Burgundy in the '09). Sometimes they go together, rare.
So what does this do? A wine post malo is a bit like a twelve-year-old body after hormones start to flow. After, the wine's initial charm can be subdued, the fruit often closes down, the wine starts to become more structured, the texture often pillows out, the acidity is gentler. In other words the wine gets a waist, hips and breasts, hair fluffs from the armpits and the wine can often go through an awkward stage but will be ready to take on adulthood. However, if bottled improperly before the malo is complete, the unstable wine at some later date will go nuts and go ballistic in the bottle.
This malo is a natural process. To intervene often means either chill filtering, sulfur, acidifying ( in order to lower high pH), and so on.
Portugal is hot. Malo starts with ease there, as in Australia and as in most parts of California. In all of those locations, the last thing they want is a process that lowers already problematically low acidities so I can see why blocking might be tempting in reds.
For more reading on the subject, take a gander at this short piece from the American Society for Enology and Viticulture is from 1977 but still is a good read on malo.
Even better is a bit from Prof. Roger Boulton's book, Principles and Practices of Winemaking
The reader who started this thread sent me a few PDFs from the magazine.
And here is a little example of the above's back label. I am curious why it is also in English.
She sent along a spread sheet of the articles data.
Download file
But as below; the yes indicates the wine finished. the no indicated no malo.
A B C D E F G H I J K
1 153 Red wines, tested Malolactic fermentation finished? Acidity € minimum € maximum consume until % alcohol Free so2 (mg/L) Total so2 (mg/L) Region Professional tasting
2 Dom Divino 2005 yes 5.8 1.8 1.8 2014 12.5 13 67 dão very good
3 Vinha da Defesa 2007 no 6.0 7.3 8.0 2013 14.0 16 54 alentejo very good
4 Vinha Grande 2003 no 5.9 9.8 15.0 2013 14.1 8 55 douro very good
5 Esporão reserva 2006 no 5.9 10.3 25.5 2016 14.6 18 73 alentejo very good
6 Encostas do Enxoé, reserva 2006 no 6.1 4.8 7.4 2013 14.7 8 52 alentejo very good
7 Cartuxa 2006 yes 4.9 14.9 21.0 2014 14.8 20 70 alentejo very good
8 Vila dos Gamas 2008 yes 5.8 2.1 4.9 2012 13.6 29 112 alentejo very good
9 Vinha de Mazouco 2007 yes 5.5 3.5 3.9 2013 13.1 17 62 douro good
10 Esteva 2007 yes 5.6 3.2 5.3 2014 13.5 26 68 douro good
11 Mundus escolha 2007 no 5.1 4.0 4.0 2014 13.1 12 65 estremadura good
12 Casa de Santar reserva 2005 yes 5.8 10.2 13.9 2014 13.5 20 100 dão good
13 Tapada do Chaves, reserva 2002 yes 6.0 10.6 15.5 2015 13.3 3 73 alentejo good
14 Reguengos garrafeira dos sócios 2002 yes 5.1 13.0 15.7 2014 13.7 11 68 alentejo good
15 Monte do Pintor reserva 2006 no 6.8 11.9 20.0 2014 14.2 2 83 alentejo good
16 Redondo 2006 no 5.1 2.5 3.0 2013 12.9 31 88 alentejo good
17 Pingo Doce 2008 (ribatejo) yes 6.0 1.3 1.3 2014 12.6 25 56 ribatejo good
18 Tribuno 2004 no 5.0 1.9 1.9 2013 12.7 15 77 douro good
19 Serra de Azeitão 2008 yes 6.9 2.2 3.1 2012 13.4 42 94 sado good
20 Cabriz, colheita seleccionada 2007 yes 5.8 3.0 4.5 2015 13.1 28 94 dão good
21 Quinta da Ponte Pedrinha 2005 yes 4.8 3.7 4.7 2014 14.4 14 40 dão good
22 Duque de Viseu 2006 yes 5.7 4.0 4.3 2014 12.8 17 66 dão good
23 JP Private Selection 2005 no 6.7 4.3 4.4 2012 14.0 12 87 palmela good
24 Reguengos reserva 2006 yes 5.8 4.0 5.5 2011 14.2 22 83 alentejo good
25 Charamba 2007 yes 5.9 4.0 5.0 2014 12.8 15 85 douro good
26 Tapada do Barão 2008 no 4.9 4.5 5.0 2012 13.3 42 93 alentejo good
27 Castelinho reserva 2007 yes 5.9 4.9 5.0 2012 13.5 13 82 douro good
28 Terra Grande reserva 2007 no 5.4 5.3 5.3 2014 13.2 32 96 alentejo good
29 Casal da Coelheira reserva 2007 no 7.0 5.9 5.9 2015 13.2 5 59 ribatejo good
30 Tinto da Ânfora 2006 no 5.5 5.4 6.9 2014 13.9 25 99 alentejo good
31 Conventual reserva 2006 yes 5.5 3.0 7.0 2014 13.1 29 80 alentejo good
32 Vallado 2007 no 5.2 6.6 9.5 2014 14.0 18 65 douro good
33 Quinta de Pancas cabernet sauvignon 2005 no 5.9 7.2 10.4 2013 14.0 12 71 estremadura good
34 ASF 2005 yes 5.4 8.5 11.6 2014 13.7 4 73 palmela good
35 Bons Ares 2006 yes 5.8 11.5 13.0 2014 14.9 16 95 Ig duriense good
36 Quinta do Carmo 2004 yes 5.2 11.0 15.9 2014 13.7 4 94 alentejo good
37 Palha Canas 2007 yes 5.7 3.9 5.0 2014 13.1 27 104 estremadura good
38 Porta Cavaleiros reserva touriga nacional 2007 yes 5.4 6.0 6.9 2015 13.1 28 119 dão good
39 Herdade da Comporta 2006 no 5.5 7.0 8.0 2015 14.0 19 93 sado good
40 Evel grande reserva 2005 no 5.2 16.9 19.9 2015 14.2 14 102 douro good
41 Terras de Senhorim 2007 no 6.3 1.7 1.7 2013 12.1 24 96 dão good
42 Adega de Pegões 2008 no 5.2 1.6 2.3 2012 12.4 30 97 sado good
43 Portal de S. Brás 2008 yes 5.9 1.6 2.0 2013 13.0 25 80 alentejo good
44 Selecção de Enófilos reserva 2006 no 5.4 1.9 2.0 2013 12.7 15 78 dão good
45 Anta da Serra 2007 no 5.9 2.5 3.3 2012 12.7 15 55 alentejo good
46 Venâncio Costa Lima 2007 yes 6.0 3.0 3.1 2013 13.1 14 82 palmela good
47 Monte das Ânforas 2008 yes 5.6 2.6 3.3 2013 13.6 26 66 alentejo good
48 Lagoa colheita seleccionada 2006 yes 6.1 3.1 3.2 2013 12.9 3 45 lagoa good
49 Conde de Vimioso 2008 yes 6.5 3.0 3.9 2014 13.5 24 50 ribatejo good
50 Tapada dos Monges 2008 no (v. verde) 9.8 3.4 3.8 2011 11.6 15 65 vinho verde good
51 Planura 2008 yes 5.4 3.5 3.9 2013 13.6 30 65 alentejo good
52 Quinta da Alorna 2007 yes 6.0 3.0 4.1 2012 13.4 37 96 ribatejo good
53 Terras de Pó 2008 yes 5.5 3.2 4.0 2013 13.2 25 80 sado good
54 Quinta de Pancas 2006 yes 6.2 2.8 4.5 2014 12.7 34 103 estremadura good
55 Periquita 2006 no 6.4 3.7 4.6 2012 12.6 23 110 sado good
56 Marco Velho reserva 2005 no 5.7 3.0 4.4 2015 12.9 26 105 estremadura good
57 Vinha do Côro 2007 yes 5.1 2.5 5.0 2014 12.6 27 110 alentejo good
58 Salira syrah 2005 yes 5.6 3.9 5.4 2013 13.8 1 6 algarve good
59 Quinta de Fafide, reserva 2005 yes 5.9 5.5 5.5 2014 13.5 24 119 douro good
60 Domini 2007 no 5.3 6.0 8.9 2013 13.2 22 78 douro good
61 Duas Quintas 2007 yes 6.3 8.9 12.7 2014 14.5 35 78 douro good
62 Vila Santa 2006 no 6.1 10.0 15.5 2015 14.0 27 107 alentejo good
63 Alabastro 2007 yes 5.0 3.4 4.6 2014 13.2 25 102 alentejo good
64 Pegos Claros 2004 no 5.5 4.0 4.7 2012 13.7 16 106 palmela good
65 Vinha do Tanque reserva 2006 yes 5.2 4.0 5.5 2013 13.0 20 114 douro good
66 Casa de Santar 2006 yes 5.9 4.6 6.8 2013 13.4 36 116 dão good
67 Montes Claros reserva 2006 yes 5.9 6.0 7.0 2011 14.1 14 108 alentejo good
68 Xairel 2008 no 5.9 1.2 1.4 2012 13.1 29 84 ribatejo good
69 Almocreve 2008 no 5.6 1.4 1.6 2011 13.3 28 76 alentejo good
70 Dia 2008 (hiper) yes 5.2 1.5 1.5 2013 12.4 26 111 sado good
71 Pingo Doce 2008, vinho regional alentejano yes 5.8 1.7 1.7 2013 12.8 31 62 alentejo good
72 Mariafonso 2006 yes 5.2 1.5 2.0 2012 12.9 25 91 estremadura good
73 JP Azeitão yes 5.8 1.6 2.3 2013 13.0 35 99 sado good
74 Quinta das Amoras colheita seleccionada 2007 no 5.4 1.8 1.8 2013 12.5 5 70 estremadura good
75 Convento da Vila 2007 no 5.8 1.8 2.9 2012 12.3 26 83 alentejo good
76 Pingo Doce 2006 (douro) yes 5.1 2.1 2.1 2013 13.6 38 94 douro good
77 Tribuno 2005 no 5.9 2.1 2.1 2011 12.6 7 73 dão good
78 Anta da Estrela 2007 no 6.4 1.9 2.3 2012 12.1 24 48 dão good
79 Porta dos Cavaleiros 2006 yes 5.9 2.2 2.9 2014 12.5 3 50 dão good
80 Adega Cooperativa Castelo Paiva 2008 no (v. verde) 6.6 2.4 2.4 2011 9.4 11 58 vinho verde good
81 Adega Cooperativa Ponte de Lima 2008 no (v. verde) 7.5 2.0 2.9 2010 9.7 8 32 vinho verde good
82 Marco Velho 2006 yes 5.8 1.7 2.9 2013 13.1 26 109 torres vedras good
83 Borba Sovibor 2008 yes 6.2 1.8 4.3 2014 13.5 45 69 alentejo good
84 Vinha das Garças castelão 2007 no 5.6 2.5 3.0 2012 12.8 15 85 sado good
85 Montado 2008 no 6.0 3.0 3.4 2012 13.1 25 56 alentejo good
86 Fiuza 3 castas 2007 yes 5.6 3.0 4.8 2013 12.6 19 95 ribatejo good
87 Meio século 2007 yes 5.2 4.5 4.5 2013 12.8 30 115 alentejo good
88 Adega de Pias 2008 no 5.0 4.0 6.3 2013 13.0 17 40 alentejo good
89 Casa Santos Lima syrah 2005 no 6.6 4.6 6.0 2012 14.6 4 42 estremadura good
90 Quinta do Falcão reserva 2004 yes 5.7 7.5 9.0 2014 12.9 6 66 ribatejo good
91 Cortes de Cima syrah 2005 yes 5.4 13.0 15.0 2013 13.8 7 30 alentejo good
92 Selecção de Enófilos 2006, (intermarché) no 5.5 1.8 2.0 2012 13.0 29 109 douro good
93 Encosta d´Alqueva 2007 yes 5.4 2.4 3.6 2012 12.9 30 81 alentejo good
94 Loios 2008 yes 6.0 2.9 3.8 2011 14.1 19 54 alentejo good
95 Bridão trincadeira 2005 yes 5.6 3.6 3.6 2011 13.3 2 55 ribatejo good
96 Visconde de Borba 2008 yes 5.3 3.6 4.0 2012 13.3 26 115 alentejo good
97 Lello 2007 no 5.4 3.4 4.7 2011 13.0 37 62 douro good
98 Diztinto 2007 no 5.3 3.8 5.0 2013 14.0 21 94 alentejo good
99 João Pires 2008 no 4.9 4.5 6.0 2011 12.1 27 88 sado good
100 Vila do Putto 2006 no 5.6 3.5 6.0 2011 12.4 18 98 bairrada good
101 Patameiras 2008 no 6.4 1.0 1.0 2012 13.6 27 63 alentejo good
102 Galitos 2007 yes 6.2 1.0 3.0 2012 12.2 21 71 alentejo good
103 Continente 2007, vinho regional alentejano no 6.1 1.6 1.6 2012 12.6 23 63 alentejo good
104 Navegante 2008 yes 5.6 1.6 1.9 2010 13.4 23 99 alentejo good
105 Azinhaga d´Ouro 2006 no 6.3 1.8 1.8 2011 12.5 2 58 douro good
106 Terra de Xisto 2008 yes 5.3 1.7 1.9 2012 12.2 28 56 alentejo good
107 Porta da Ravessa 2008 yes 6.3 1.4 3.0 2011 12.8 18 45 alentejo good
108 Selecção de Enófilos 2008, alentejo (intermarché) yes 6.4 2.0 2.0 2014 12.7 14 41 alentejo good
109 Terra d´Ossa 2008 yes 5.6 2.0 2.2 2012 12.7 16 54 alentejo good
110 Adega de Monção 2008 no (v. verde) 7.3 1.9 2.3 2010 10.3 24 68 vinho verde good
111 Adega Cooperativa Ponte da Barca 2008 no (v. verde) 6.5 2.3 3.4 2010 9.4 9 25 vinho verde good
112 Campo da Vinha (sem ano) no (v. verde) 6.8 2.4 3.0 2011 10.5 22 72 vinho verde good
113 Pias 2008 no 6.1 3.0 4.0 2012 13.5 33 114 alentejo good
114 Tinto da Talha 2006 no 5.8 3.1 4.3 2011 12.9 26 76 alentejo good
115 Meio Século 2007 (douro) no 5.6 4.0 4.0 2012 12.6 9 109 douro good
116 Romeira 2007 yes 6.4 3.8 4.9 2011 12.7 28 117 palmela good
117 Monte Velho 2008 no 5.7 2.7 4.4 2013 13.5 27 46 alentejo good
118 Altoviso 2005 yes 4.9 2.5 5.9 2014 12.8 3 56 dão good
119 Pingo Doce 2007 (palmela) no 5.4 2.0 2.0 2011 13.0 14 119 palmela good
120 Conde Villar 2008 no (v. verde) 6.8 2.0 2.7 2010 11.7 2 6 vinho verde good
121 Mestre Franco reserva 2007 no 5.9 2.1 4.7 2014 13.3 24 122 alentejo good
122 Dona Ermelinda 2007 no 5.3 3.8 5.0 2012 13.3 26 135 palmela good
123 Kopke 2007 yes 5.7 3.8 5.0 2015 13.4 29 123 douro good
124 Cabeça de Touro reserva 2005 yes 6.2 5.3 6.8 2015 13.2 39 124 ribatejo good
125 Monte Grande 2008 yes 5.4 1.4 1.7 2013 12.3 48 90 alentejo good
126 Igrejinha 2008 no 5.3 1.3 1.3 2013 12.2 40 136 sado good
127 Caves Santa Marta 2006 yes 6.1 1.9 2.3 2014 13.0 21 122 douro good
128 Arruda 2007 yes 6.2 1.9 2.5 2015 13.2 16 133 arruda good
129 Frei João 2006 yes 5.6 2.2 2.6 2014 13.2 21 123 bairrada good
130 Grandjó 2006 yes 5.7 3.0 3.0 2012 13.1 29 136 douro good
131 Cunha Martins reserva 2006 no 5.7 4.0 4.6 2012 13.1 18 104 dão good
132 Dom Rafael 2007 no 6.4 6.8 7.0 2014 13.8 36 87 alentejo good
133 Quinta da Bacalhôa cabernet sauvignon 2007 no 6.5 13.9 17.0 2016 14.2 40 121 sado good
134 Dumonte 2008 yes 5.9 2.0 2.0 2011 12.3 41 71 alentejo good
135 Terras de Pó reserva 2006 no 5.4 6.0 7.8 2013 13.7 28 139 alentejo good
136 Pasmados 2007 yes 5.5 6.6 10.0 2014 13.0 25 123 sado good
137 Pingo Doce, colheita seleccionada 2006 (dão) yes 5.6 2.5 2.5 2013 13.3 34 124 dão good
138 Caves Monteiro reserva 2005 no 5.4 4.5 4.7 2012 12.6 22 106 dão good
139 Uvas Saloias 2008 no 8.0 1.3 1.4 2012 12.2 29 129 estremadura good
140 Continente 2007 (dão) no 6.1 1.9 2.0 2011 11.5 34 90 dão good
141 Meio Século reserva 2007 no 5.6 4.7 4.7 2013 12.7 25 135 douro good
142 Caves de Pegões, castelão e syrah 2006 no 5.4 3.9 3.9 2013 12.8 24 149 sado good
143 Colinas de São Lourenço 2006 no 5.1 4.7 4.9 2013 12.7 29 149 bairrada good
144 Castelinho 2007 no 5.9 3.3 3.9 2011 13.1 30 148 douro good
145 Alísios 2006 yes 5.2 4.0 4.0 2011 12.5 32 157 douro good
146 Vale de São Domingos reserva 2006 no 6.0 4.5 4.5 2012 13.1 31 155 douro good
147 Amo-te reserva 2005 no 5.7 5.0 5.3 2013 13.4 36 153 sado good
148 Reserva dos Amigos syrah 2004 yes 5.7 5.4 6.6 2012 13.9 34 152 estremadura good
149 Alpendre 2005 no 5.4 2.0 3.4 2013 12.8 17 166 dão good
150 Quinta do Côro reserva 2005 yes 5.8 3.3 3.4 2013 13.5 17 192 alentejo good
151 Serradayres reserva 2005 yes 5.5 3.6 4.0 2013 13.1 34 170 ribatejo good
152 Quinta da Mimosa 2006 yes 5.5 7.3 11.5 2013 14.1 27 161 palmela good
153 Continente 2007 (douro) yes 5.9 2.0 3.0 2013 13.1 30 170 douro good
154 Fontanário de Pegões yes 5.6 2.7 3.9 2013 13.7 36 174 palmela good
155
I just never even considered 'fine' wine like Esporao would opt to block.
What makes these eligible for DOC status, I wonder? Why are these wines, with blocked malo--typical? Is this practiced in other countries? Maybe there's an answer and maybe we'll figure it out together.
Portuguese readers out there?
Here is one example of the difference between blogging and writing an article. If this was subscription or if I was on assignment, I would get the answer, I would get to the bottom of this. I would work and shape this story instead of merely raising questions. This is why the blog is, and will remain, inferior to legit journalism.
Okay, but what a blog can do is start a conversation.
So, do we know how widespread this practice is in the US? Spain? Chile? Down under? Is this the next step for California in an attempt to preserve more acidity in the wines? Love to hear you weigh in.
