THE ART OF WINE MAKING. 225 



of alcohol, despoiling the liquor of a principle 

 which contributes largely to its piquancy and 

 agreeable flavour. The wine, therefore, which 

 are in their nature light and feeble, though pos- 

 sessing an agreeable perfume, and those white 

 wines, whose principal quality is a tendency to 

 effervescence; should receive but a slight fermen- 

 tation. 



The wines of Burgundy, of the first pressing, 

 (vins de primeur] such as those of Volney, of 

 Poniard, are allowed to remain only twenty or 

 thirty hours in the fermenting tub. Gentil, who 

 has made many interesting experiments to decide 

 this question, is of opinion, that they should be 

 withdrawn from the tub as soon as the taste of 

 sugar has disappeared. Chaptal, however, in 

 treating this question, observes that the disap- 

 pearance of it, is not absolute; as, by experiment, 

 he has proved that as the vinous flavour is de- 

 veloped, the taste of sugar is no longer sensible, 

 but that the spirit of the wine, which is constant- 

 ly formed, so masks and conceals the small rem- 

 nant of the sugar, that though actually present 

 in a slight degree, it becomes insensible. " It is 

 the precise moment" (says Chaptal) " at which 

 the sweet savour disappears, which is that most 

 favourable to the decuvage." 



" I have in my observations on this subject, 

 seen that among practical vintners, the most dis- 

 tinguished for the success of their wines, this is 

 regarded as the moment most favourable to the 

 accomplishment of the decuvage. A precaution 

 not less important than that of which we have 

 just spoken, is the preparation of the vessels, in 



