Read Online Treachery in Bordeaux (The Winemaker Detective Series) by Jean-Pierre Alaux, Noël Balen - Free Book Online

made its way around large roots that had grown out of the ground, blocking its passage and forcing it to make detours.
    Cooker was exhausted after his meeting in the Cité Frugès. The old Ténotier’s awful cheap wine had left his mouth cottony, the smell of cat piss was still stinging his nostrils, and after spending so much time in the shadows, he had to keep blinking his eyes. Those two hours were enough to wipe out a tasting career and compromise his reputation as a winemaker. People were busy at work near the Moniales Haut-Brion cellars, which brought him quickly back to reality. He greeted the assembled crowd from a distance so as not to burn himself in the steam that was coming out of the barrels. They had started washing the contaminated casks early that morning. Virgile left the team to pursue the work while he reported to his boss.
    “Everything went perfectly, sir. We finished decanting around 1 a.m. We attacked disinfecting at 7 and we should be finished soon.”
    “Is everyone following the instructions?” Benjamin asked without showing concern for his assistant’s fatigue.
    The young man was clearly strong and well built, spoiled by nature even, yet his face was pale and wrinkled from a lack of sleep. He had deep purple bags under his eyes.
    “I followed your instructions closely,” the assistant said. “I added the same amount of ozone to each barrel, and I raised the water temperature to 200 degrees.”
    “Did you use constant pressure?”
    “Yes, but then I prolonged the treatment time and spent a quarter of an hour on each barrel. I think that should do it.”
    “You still have to beware of ozone: It’s an effective disinfectant, but it causes oxidation that could promote certain volatile substances that influence the wine’s aroma or the wood’s quality.”
    “We rinsed at high pressure, sir. Long enough. I really followed your recommendations to the letter.”
    “Very good, then. Don’t change anything,” Benjamin said, waving at Denis Massepain, who was walking toward them from the château.
    The assistant disappeared into the thick white steam that was rising from the barrels being rinsed with the high-pressure stream of hot water. Cooker watched from the corner of his eye as the Moniales estate owner approached slowly. Virgile was demonstrating a lot of energy, precise gestures and concentration, showing natural authority that allowed him to give orders to the workers without being arrogant.
    “Your new employee seems quite good,” Denis said, giving him a tired handshake.
    “Yes, he’s a good recruit. He works hard and keeps smiling. That is becoming hard to find.”
    “Is everything OK, Benjamin?”
    “I think so. We’ll proceed with sulfiting tomorrow. Doing it today would have been ideal, but my lab manager has to finish something urgent and cannot make it earlier.”
    “Did you tell her?” Denis asked with a worried look. “Does she really need to be here?”
    “I had to. But you have nothing to fear. Alexandrine de la Palussière can be trusted. I need her here to adapt the sulfur dioxide dosage. She is the one who recommended that we use ozone to clean the barrels, and I think it’s the best technique. Chlorine could accelerate the formation of trichlorophenol, which would then break down into trichloranisole. Don’t ask me for the details. I don’t know anything more, but from experience I can guarantee that we will avoid any moldy aromas this way. And it’s better to forget any chemical detergents and fungicides such as quaternary ammonium compound, because they always leave a residue after rinsing.”
    “I’ll leave you to do what you have to do. I don’t have a choice, do I?” sighed Massepain. “I haven’t slept since this whole thing began, and I prefer not to talk too much about it to Thérèse. She worries enough as it is.”
    “You’re right. The best thing to do for now is to stand by your team and wait until the end of next week. I think that in