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Full-Bodied, Dry Whites

With full-bodied dry white wines, the grapes again need to be in good condition, free of disease, but picked at higher sugar levels (with consideration given to balanced acidity and flavour).

Harvesting of grapes for this style needs to take place in cool conditions, as with light bodied whites, however protection from oxidation is not as stringent. High levels of oxidation will make poor wine, so grapes are still protected with sulphur dioxide as early as harvesting stage.

Juice for full-bodied dry white wines needs to remain flavoursome and not be over the top in terms of phenolics - however some contribution is required to get that fuller body.

Again, for better quality wines without bitterness, hard pressings are not used.

Fermentation doesn't necessarily have to take place under cooler temperature conditions. This style of white can have many variations, and manipulation of the fermentation temperature is one way of increasing complexity in the resulting wine batch. Normally, the ferment temp is around 15-18 degrees. Fermentation is checked up to four times a day to monitor the wine.

Partial fermentation of fuller-bodied white wines can also take place in oak barrels. This means a portion of the wine is put into barrels, and often blended back into the batch at a later time. Too much oak is over-powering for white wines.

After fermentation, wines are chilled and given time for yeast lees to settle to the bottom. The clear wine is racked off the top, and often sulphur dioxide is again added to inhibit oxidation - particularly in hot regions.

Next the wines are clarified to different degrees - depending on the style of wine the maker is looking for, and sometimes sent to oak barrels for maturation before bottling.

Sometimes to increase a white wine's complexity, the yeast lees are left in the wine during oak barrel maturation. The winemaker stirs them through regularly. Yum.

Finally, when all this is done, wines are often blended and stabilised with fining agents before bottling.

Major Varietals

Major varietals used for this style are Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Chenin Blanc, Marsanne, Verdelho, Muscadelle.

The wines have higher alcohol levels (12 to 14%v/v), lower acidity, and low pH. They often have buttery flavour characters from malo-lactic fermentation or derived from oak contact.

Classic examples: Semillon (Hunter Valley, Australia; Graves, Bordeaux, France). Chardonnay (Burgundy, France; Chablis, France; Yarra Valley, Australia; Hunter Valley, Australia) Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, New Zealand; Graves, Bordeaux, France; Sancerre/Pouilly Fume, France) Chenin Blanc (Vouvray, Loire Valley, France; Swan Hill, Australia). Marsanne (Côtes du Rhône, France; Goulburn Valley, Australia)

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