All about Malolactic Fermentation aka MLF
As the harvest winds down, a new stage begins in the winemaking process: malolactic fermentation, affectionately known as “MLF.” This essential step transforms the bright malic acid in our wine into a smoother, creamier lactic acid, helping round out the wine’s character and flavor. At Château Canon Chaigneau, MLF is both a natural and essential part of our winemaking, guided with care to bring out the best in each parcel of grapes.
When and How MLF Happens Here
Our first tank (cuve) began malolactic fermentation on October 23 and completed the process just five days later, on October 28. However, MLF happens gradually, cuve by cuve. At the moment, several of our tanks—13A, 2B, and 3B (each holding around 30-40% of total wine)—as well as 7B and 8B haven’t started MLF yet, but we expect they’ll kick off soon. We guide MLF by bringing the temperature in each cuve to a steady 21°C to encourage the process to start and maintain it until completion.
Once MLF begins in a cuve, we maintain the temperature at 20–21°C, which generally allows the process to complete within 4–8 days.
A Natural Approach
At Château Canon Chaigneau, we take a natural approach to MLF, allowing the process to occur without artificial inseminations (where wine is added from other cuves, where the malos have started) or inoculations of bacteria. We prefer not to inoculate with specific malolactic cultures, as we vinify parcel by parcel, preserving the unique character of each plot, and to assemble the best into our top wine. We rely on the naturally occurring lactic acid bacteria in our tanks (Oenococcus oeni, along with some species of Pediococcus and Lactobacillus) to guide the conversion.
As part of this hands-off approach, we stir the wine regularly and keep a watchful eye on the temperature, maintaining a steady 21°C to help the natural process along without rushing it. This method, though gradual, allows each wine to develop fully, capturing the essence of our 20.73 hectares of our sensational terroir.
14 Cuves and 900 Hectolitres of Character
This year, we’re using 14 cuves of varying sizes, which together hold around 900 hectolitres of wine. Each cuve represents a unique plot, vinified separately to express the full diversity of our vineyard’s terroir.
Taking a natural approach to MLF isn’t just tradition; it’s a philosophy. Letting the process progress at its own pace means we capture a fuller, more nuanced profile in every bottle, with a wine that reflects its origins, down to the last detail. By giving each cuve time and space to develop, we ensure that Château Canon Chaigneau wines deliver the purest expression of our terroir and the uniqueness of each vintage.
Cheers to a natural transformation that makes each sip of Château Canon Chaigneau a true taste of terroir & winemaking genius :)