Windsor, CA – 7/19/2016 – Enartis USA is proud to announce the launch of the “California Premium Vineyards Collection,” which includes two classic isolates, Enartis Ferm WS and Enartis ML MCW, as well as two new additions, Enartis Ferm MB15 and Enartis Ferm D20.
Continuing the tradition of isolating, characterizing and preserving indigenous microflora from selected vineyards, Enartis USA provides the industry with selected microbiological cultures either as exclusive, proprietary cultures or as commercial strains, available in active dry form.
During the past five years, Enartis has collected several selections of grapes into sterile containers and fermented them under controlled conditions. These isolates were characterized for their enological interest at our yeast laboratory and experimental production plant in Italy. In 2016, two of these isolates where added to our range of yeast:
Enartis Ferm MB15
Pinot noir isolate from Campbell Ranch Vineyard, outside of the town of Annapolis, in the Sonoma Coast Appellation. In 2013, a native fermentation that started in a cold soak of Pinot noir grapes that Bannister Wines sourced from Campbell Ranch produced a wine with great distinctive aromatics. Brook and Marty Bannister speculated that it could be related to the uniqueness of the vineyard and its microflora. In 2014, they decided to send samples to Enartis for genetic and enological characterization.
The uniqueness of this strain was evident from the beginning as it was the only genetic profile of Saccharomyces cerevisiae identified throughout the fermentation. The “Annapolis yeast,” now branded as Enartis Ferm MB15 as a tribute to the contributions of Marty Bannister to the wine industry, presented excellent enological properties which led Enartis to produce a small batch for the 2015 harvest in active dry form for winery trials. From Sonoma to Temecula, from Italy to Spain, several wineries trialed this yeast with excellent results and a common comment on its performance: “Great and distinctive aromatics.”
Enartis Ferm MB15 respects varietal character and terroir, while enhancing floral, fruit and spice expressions. It contributes to both excellent complexity and structural enhancement as well as helps with polyphenol extraction and color preservation. Wines produced with Enartis Ferm MB15 are distinguished by bright and dense color, balanced mouthfeel and aromatic finesse.
Enartis Ferm D20
Yeast isolate from the top Cabernet Sauvignon block on DAOU Mountain, in Paso Robles, in the Adelaida Appellation. In 2012, Daniel Daou, proprietor and winemaker of DAOU Vineyards & Winery in Paso Robles approached Enartis with the intent of isolating and characterizing the yeast patrimony of the top Cabernet Sauvignon block from DAOU Mountain. Daniel was “seeking a Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast that would handle higher temperatures during fermentation and lead to more color and flavor while helping balance tannins.”
The isolation project started in 2012 with a native fermentation produced under sterile conditions using carefully picked grapes from DAOU Mountain. This fermentation yielded 24 isolates belonging to six genetic profiles. From these isolates, two were selected based on their enological properties; in particular tolerance to high temperatures and impact on the phenolic composition of wine.
During the 2014 harvest, winery trials were performed with the two isolates and the isolate “D20” (isolate #20 from the DAOU Mountain) stood out when compared to the other isolate and the commercial yeast strains already in use at the winery. In 2015, Enartis produced the first batch of Enartis Ferm D20 in active dry form and trials were performed at the DAOU winery, as well at other wineries in California, Italy and Spain. The trials produced the results Daniel Daou was seeking: “The D20 yeast has improved the mouthfeel of our wines while delivering a more balanced wine that had increased phenolics.”
Enartis Ferm D20, the DAOU Mountain yeast isolate, is recommended for the production of high-end red wines intended to be aged. It tolerates high fermentation temperatures, promotes extraction of phenolic compounds, and reduces the perception of green notes while enhancing aromatic intensity and complexity. Particularly suited for Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varietals.
José Santos, President and CEO of Enartis USA said: “Since I joined Enartis USA in 2010, I understood the potential we have in California and other US wine regions to select unique microorganisms with enological interest. Marty Bannister started this work, and we continued and developed it in our Microbiology Department at Vinquiry Laboratories. We worked in optimizing the production of Enartis Ferm WS, making it available in active dry form 25 years after being isolated, and also introduced Enartis ML MCW in direct addition form. We have been collaborating with several wineries, selecting and characterizing unique isolates which, in addition to allowing the winemaker to have controlled fermentations, contribute to the preservation of the uniqueness of California premium vineyards. I am very proud and excited for the two new isolates, Enartis Ferm MB15, our new star for Pinot noir, which is also a tribute to Marty Bannister, and Enartis Ferm D20, which is the result of almost five years of collaboration with Daniel Daou.
About Enartis USA:
Beginning as the pioneering Vinquiry Wine Laboratory in the early days of the modern US wine industry, Enartis USA is now a leading supplier to the North American Wine Industry. In addition to the high-quality analytical services provided by its network of laboratories, Enartis USA is a leading supplier of winemaking products and laboratory supplies.
The ISO 17025:005 Accreditation of our main laboratory verifies the high-quality of analytical services that we provide our clients, which range from basic chemistry testing to most recent techniques such as Real Time Quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), a molecular biology technique for the detection of spoilage microorganisms, and grape and wine phenolic analysis (Phenolic Fingerprint), among many others.
In January of 2009, we became part of the multi-national company Esseco Group, which manufactures the Enartis range of premium winemaking products. Being part of the world leading manufacturer of winemaking products has allowed us to incorporate the technologically advanced Enartis range into our extensive product offerings, as well to develop tailored solutions for the US wine industry. Enartis USA is a leading supplier of winemaking products, with the capability to meet the needs of wineries of all sizes.
