Definition: affinage

The process of first removing excess carbon dioxide produced during fermentation; this gives dry white wines and young wines a freshness, but hardens wines intended for ageing, particularly red wines. The technique of micro-oxygenation – or micro-bubbling – is sometimes used; it consists of adding tiny amounts of oxygen to red wine to ensure beneficial transformation of the tannins (wines thus gain in richness and fruitiness, sometimes with a reduction in their vegetal characteristics).

The ageing process then continues during this period of maturation or refinement when the wine is placed in barrels and bottled. The duration of the ageing process varies depending on the vintage.

When we consider the importance of the cork in the ageing of wine, we can safely say that the old bottles that we enjoy today were unknown to our ancestors. The ageing of wine requires a long period of storage in a horizontal bottle in order to acquire the bouquets that we all love. A whole technique and a whole range of choices go into its manufacture. Elasticity, flexibility, adhesion and watertightness are the key words. The success of the ageing process depends on their length. In its glass prison, protected by its cork, the wine undergoes a mysterious alchemy. The great houses that pride themselves on storing very old wines insist on changing the corks every 15 or 20 years. Marked with the seal of its place of origin and the vintage of the wine it houses, the cork guarantees its safety. Extracted slowly and carefully, subjected to the judgement of an inquisitive nose, placed on the basket where the old bottle languishes, the cork contributes to the solemnity of the ritual of offering a fine wine.