b) Stage Two: Ageing in the Bottle
When the wine is bottled, the second stage of ageing, reduction (an anaerobic process), then begins.
Once the bottles are filled and closed, they are placed on bottle racks in wine cellars. These are underground or fully insulated areas characterised by the absence of air or brusque changes in temperature, usually with a relative humidity of over 70%. The bottles remain in a horizontal position to allow the wine contact with the cork, wetting it and creating an airtight seal.
Wines that have developed properly during the oxidation stage are refined and rounded in the bottle, their bouquet is enriched by the substances existing in the anaerobic atmosphere of the bottle. Thus, they acquire greater complexity and elegance; great wines may undergo bottle ageing for many years.
After completing this stage, the wine is considered to be finished. It is then taken out of the cellars, the bottle is cleaned and labelled, the capsule added and it is ready for sale.
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