Gamme Jean-Etienne Chermette Vinification Secrets

Jean-Etienne vinifies according to the traditional Beaujolais method, semi-carbonic vinification using whole bunches.

The whole, uncrushed grapes are placed in vats, which are then saturated with carbon dioxide and sealed. After two days of maceration, the wine is pumped over once or twice a day. The juice from the bottom of the vat is pumped and poured back over the top.
The maceration period in concrete vats varies from 5 to 7 days for Beaujolais wines and from 7 to 9 days for crus and Pinot Noir, at a moderate temperature of 24 to 25 degrees to obtain the freshness of the fruit. The grapes are then pressed in a pneumatic press. The juice obtained is aged in vats, barrels or casks, depending on the wine, where it completes alcoholic and malolactic fermentation to become wine.
This style of whole bunch vinification with air pumping-over gives the wines structure, colour and fruitiness with silky tannins. Thanks to these methods and our great granite terroirs for Gamay and clay-limestone terroirs for Pinot, the wines have the potential to improve with age. "This philosophy allows me to practise moderate extraction to obtain wines with freshness, finesse and suppleness."

Jean-Etienne performs direct pressing of whole grape clusters, with the juice pumped into stainless steel tanks. He then clarifies the juice (removing coarse particles from the lees) by cold settling for 48 hours at 10°C. The clear juice is racked off, retaining the fine lees, and alcoholic fermentation begins.

To obtain a high-quality Viognier, alcoholic fermentation is carried out slowly, over approximately three weeks, at a low temperature (16–17°C), in order to preserve the aromatic integrity of the grape variety.

Both alcoholic and malolactic fermentations, as well as ageing, take place in stainless steel tanks to preserve freshness, fruit, and roundness. The wine is aged for 6 months.

The vinification process is as natural as possible, using indigenous yeasts specific to each terroir, found naturally on the grapes. These yeasts ensure the wine’s typicity and personality, without added chemical inputs, aiming to produce the most natural wines possible.