For The Love Of Port

"Flash detent", a relatively new technology that extracts color and flavor almost instantly from red grapes under elevated temperature and high vacuum. The process eliminates the need for punch downs or pump overs and allows easy fermentation in barrel with only red juice, no skins. The process can also remove certain defects and greatly reduces the need for adding extra sulfites to the wine.

This is the first I've ever heard of this. Anybody here know more about this?

Not heard of it. I'm thinking it could work to some degree, however many of the components extracted during normal fermentation require alcohol, they are not as soluble in a purely aqueous solution. There is a difference in volatility of these extracted compounds as well and the vacuum would change their ratio of extraction. So the balance of what is extracted would be somewhat different. I'm also wondering about stem inclusion. What compounds would be extracted from them? Interesting concept, but I'd like so see side-by-side comparisons.

Is it the same as Thermoflash technique?

The technique has been used before by reknown producers like Beaucastel on his Hommage à Jacques Perrin cuvée which for me is the reason very often this wine smells oysters.

More recently a lot of Beaujolais producers have been using it to get riper flavours. If it also reduces the need for sulfur it is because it acts like pasteurising.

I've tasted a few wines made with this, yes it gets riper, fruitier flavours but the problem is they all smell and taste almost the same. Most of the time also the flavour reminds of cheap juice beverage made from concentrate.

Frederick Blais wrote:Is it the same as Thermoflash technique?

Apparently very similar:
http://www.winesandvines.com/template.c ... tent=82256

I believe the technique at Beaucastel does not use vacuum. I would think this would change extraction considerably.