Maceration Time: Duration, Not Chance

The standard

A set contact duration fixes in advance how long the must stands, rather than extending or shortening it at will. Without a set contact duration, the extraction cannot be distinguished from chance.

Criteria

• The duration is fixed before extraction begins
• It is set individually per cuvée, not uniformly
• An extension is justified, not made incidentally
• The result is measured against the intended extraction, not against chance

Distinction

Maceration time ≠ Tannin Quality from the Vineyard: this originates in the vine, the set contact duration only determines how much of it reaches the wine. Maceration time ≠ Spontaneous Fermentation: this concerns the source of the yeast, not the contact time of skins and juice.