During the vinification of red grapes, as the fermentation takes place, many components present in the skins and pips are extracted. This maceration continues throughout several days after the end of the fermentation until the running off, the process of separating the wine by pumping it off the marc (the solid parts of the grapes).

The running off therefore puts an end to a period of very complex dynamic interactions when the components in the grapes are dissolved in the wine to good and sometimes bad effect.

The result, of course, depends firstly on the quality of the grapes. Only very good grapes, perfectly healthy and ripe, and from great terroirs, are likely to be transformed, by means of fermentation and an appropriate maceration, into a great wine. When this is the case, and fortunately at Château Margaux it is most often so, the vinification is quite easy, as the wine only has good things to gain from the fruit. When the vintage is more tricky, generally through lack of grape ripeness, there is a greater risk of extracting bad flavours, particularly vegetal aromas and harsh and bitter tannins. This is when it becomes very important to watch the maceration very closely.

Only through regular tasting can we assess the wine's slow acquisition of aromatic complexity, richness and tannic finesse and then detect the moment when the risk might appear of a hint of bitterness, a touch of harshness, which would indicate it is time to begin the running off.

Speed of decision and action is then of the essence. There are no Saturdays, Sundays or whatever else that may matter. We are all united by our passionate commitment to the wine.

What an excitement ! The new wine is being born in our hands !