Volume 72: Macarthur family correspondence relating to wine, 1846-1900: No. 111

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[Page 111]

4.

to those at Langoa and thus without being crushed they are conveyed into the large fermenting vats.  There are from one to 400 gallons, some of them very old, they say the grapes all burst in the process of fermenting.  I can bear witness that almost as soon as the must had begun to ferment it had already attained a color as deep as we ever get and much clearer & brighter.  The recently expressed must weighed just 108.  It is considered to be excellent in quality and that there is every reason to hope that the wine will be of remarkable excellence.  They expect to make from 250 to 300 Hhds and to finish in 3 days.  I particularly examined the grapes.  They told me they were larger in the berry than usual, indeed they were so much larger generally than our Caebernet & so much more juicy that I almost doubted the identity until I had an opportunity of examining the produce of the very young vines & those which the managers considered to be in the very best state to make good wine.  The fruit of these was just the same as that of our Caebenet & probably sweeter than the those I tried in the wine House.  I also identified the Malbec.  It is here only grown for eating.  The soil, abounding in quartz pebbles of small size, the slopes, everything gives one the idea of this vineyard being a 1st rate one.  It seems to be perfectly well drained country certain of the drier portion gives a fair [indecipherable] than the vineyard.  But I believe except the best ripe bunches which are left for a second gathering no distinction is made.  The workers are allowed to eat grapes without [indecipherable] provided they work.  But they seemed to me to take it very easily and to require just as much looking after as our people do.  We afterwards visited the [indecipherable] last years wine & W49 from the cask as well as a peculiar wine like fine Burgundy made from a spot of the estate not differing in appearance from the best of the remainder of the two former wines.  The newer seemed very like our [indecipherable] Hermitage which now only deepens & brightens in color.  The 1849
 

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