# Ancestral — Método Alquímico
## Complete Process Document

**Wine:** Ancestral — Método Alquímico (Trepat biodinámico 2025)
**Method:** Hybrid Ancestral × Traditionnelle — single continuous fermentation
**Vintage:** 2025
**Origin:** Single parcel, **Verdú, Lleida**, Catalonia, Spain
**Viticulture:** Precision biodynamic; natural products, irrigation permitted, one sulfur treatment in July at veraison
**Source protocol:** `~/.picoclaw/workspace/symbiogenesis/protocols/Ancestral_es.pdf` (October 3, 2025)
**Last updated:** June 2025

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## 1. Composition

### 1.1 Grape and parcel

| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| **Variety** | 100% Trepat (biodinámico) |
| **Origin** | Verdú, Lleida, Catalonia, Spain |
| **Parcel** | Single estate parcel |
| **Viticulture** | Precision biodynamic — natural products, irrigation permitted, one sulfur treatment in July at veraison |
| **Soil type** | Ancient maritime limestone and fossilized clay on elevated slopes; Llicorella black slate on mid-slope; sandy active limestone on valley floor |
| **Climate** | Continental Lleida with Mediterranean moderation; diurnal shifts of 15–20°C during harvest window |
| **Vintage 2025 harvest volume** | 100 kg (whole clusters) |
| **Base must volume** | ~100 L (post whole-cluster press) |

### 1.2 Must chemistry at harvest (vintage 2025)

| Parameter | Value | Source / Reference |
|---|---|---|
| **Sugar** | 21.2 °Bx | `protocols/Ancestral_es.pdf` — within the 20–22 °Bx Trepat optimum |
| **pH** | 3.5 | At upper edge of ideal range for sparkling base (3.2–3.5) |
| **Titratable acidity** | 4.0 g/L | Moderate for Trepat |
| **YAN (assumed)** | Unknown — must be measured; ≥ 150 mg/L required to proceed | `protocols/Ancestral_es.pdf` §2.2 |

**Quality profile:** All measured parameters are within the variety's optimum. The 2025 lot is of excellent quality. The protocol is calibrated to **express** that quality, not to compensate for deficiencies.

### 1.3 Indigenous microbiome

The Trepat 2025 vineyard carries a robust indigenous microbiome:

- **Native *Saccharomyces cerevisiae*** — ready to dominate the fermentation through cool-temperature selection
- **Native non-*Saccharomyces*** (Hanseniaspora, Lachancea, Candida) — contribute aromatic complexity in the first 24–72 hours of fermentation
- **Cellar flora** — the indigenous yeast populations resident on the cellar walls contribute to the fermentation succession

The protocol does not introduce commercial yeast (no EC1118). The native microbiome is the engine of fermentation.

### 1.4 Expected wine composition (post-fermentation, post-dégorgement)

| Parameter | Value | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| **Alcohol** | ~11.5% vol | Computed from 21.2 °Bx minus CO₂ loss in single fermentation |
| **pH** | ~3.05 | Post single fermentation; malolactic blocked |
| **Titratable acidity** | 7.2 g/L | Drives the electric, vibrant style |
| **Volatile acidity** | 0.38 g/L | Low; clean fermentation |
| **Residual sugar** | 0 g/L | Brut Nature; zero dosage at dégorgement |
| **Total SO₂** | <10 mg/L | No SO₂ added at any stage |
| **CO₂ pressure** | 6.0 bar target | From 24 g/L residual sugar at bottling |
| **Esters** | Ethyl acetate 28 mg/L; isoamyl acetate 12 mg/L; ethyl hexanoate 8 mg/L | Indigenous fermentation signature |

**Full chemistry:** `products/ancestral/03_technical/chemical_analysis.json`

---

## 2. Fermentation — Process and Calendar

The Ancestral's fermentation is a **single continuous process** that begins in a 100 L stainless steel deposit and finishes in the bottle. No liqueur de tirage. No commercial yeast. No SO₂.

### 2.1 Phase 1 — Press and Débourbage (Day 0)

**Process:**

1. **Whole-cluster press.** 100 kg of Trepat grapes loaded directly into the press — no crushing, no destemming. Slow press cycle.
2. **Strict fraction separation.** Only the cuvée (first 50–60 L of free-run and first-press juice) is kept. The taille (later fractions, higher pH and phenols) is discarded.
3. **Transfer to deposit.** The cuvée is transferred immediately to the sealed 100 L "siempre lleno" stainless deposit.
4. **Cold settling (débourbage).** Deposit cooled to **8–10°C for 24 hours**. Static settling purifies the must — particulates carrying oxidative enzymes precipitate.
5. **Racking.** Clean must racked off heavy solids to the cleaned deposit, ready for fermentation.

**Lever settings:**
- **Extraction Dynamics:** whole-cluster press — minimum skin and seed damage
- **Vessel:** 100 L stainless steel, sealed, anaerobic
- **Time + Temperature:** 24 hours at 8–10°C

**YAN check:** mandatory before fermentation begins. If < 150 mg/L, must adjust.

### 2.2 Phase 2 — Indigenous Fermentation in Deposit (Day 1 to ~Day 21)

**Process:**

1. **Natural temperature ramp.** Deposit allowed to warm naturally to **14–16°C** over Day 1–3.
2. **Indigenous succession begins.** Native non-*Saccharomyces* lead the first 24–72 hours. *Saccharomyces cerevisiae* establishes dominance through cool-temperature selection.
3. **Peak fermentation.** Temperature holds at ~16°C peak. CO₂ evolution monitored.
4. **Density progression.** Initial density ~1089 g/L (at 21.2 °Bx). Drops over 14–21 days as sugar ferments.
5. **End of primary fermentation.** Density reaches ~1008–1010 g/L (the bottling target — see 2.3).

**Lever settings:**
- **Temperature:** 14–16°C start; natural ramp
- **Oxygen:** strictly anaerobic deposit
- **Time:** ~21 days primary fermentation

**Critical monitoring:**
- Daily density check (digital density meter) as bottling target approaches
- Sensory evaluation daily — smell the sample valve for any off-aromas
- Cooling available if temperature rises too high (cold-water jacket — but minimal intervention is the protocol)

### 2.3 Phase 3 — The Critical Bottling Point (Day ~14–21)

This is the most technically demanding step. The wine must be bottled with **exactly 24 g/L residual sugar** to produce the target 6.0 bar of pressure.

**The chemistry:**

- 4.0 g/L of fully fermented sugar = 1 bar of pressure at 10°C
- For 6.0 bars → **24 g/L of fermentable sugar must remain** at bottling

**Density targets:**

- Initial must: ~1089 g/L (at 21.2 °Bx)
- Bottling density: **1008–1010 g/L** (≈ 24 g/L residual sugar)
- Final dry wine: ~992 g/L

**Process:**

1. **Density check 2–3 times per day** as the wine approaches the target
2. **At target density:** immediately transfer the still-fermenting, cloudy wine to high-resistance sparkling bottles
3. **Crown cap seal** — captures CO₂, creates pressure
4. **No liqueur de tirage added** — the residual sugar and indigenous yeast do all the work

This is the moment the Ancestral half becomes the Traditionnelle half: the same fermentation that began in the deposit finishes in the bottle, capturing all primary fruit aromatics in a sealed environment.

**Lever setting — Time:** precision timing is the lever. The 24 g/L target is exact.

### 2.4 Phase 4 — Lees Aging in Bottle (18–36 months)

**Process:**

1. **Horizontal rima storage.** Bottles placed horizontally in a cool, dark cellar at **12–14°C**.
2. **Secondary fermentation completes** in bottle over weeks; CO₂ trapped; pressure develops to 6.0 bar.
3. **Autolysis.** Over 18–36 months, dead yeast cells (lees) break down, releasing:
   - **Mannoproteins** — creamy texture, fine-bubble stability
   - **Amino acids and peptides** — complex savory, umami flavors (brioche, toast, nuts)
   - **Glutathione and reductors** — natural antioxidant protection, no SO₂ needed

**Lever setting — Time:** the duration of lees contact determines the depth of autolytic contribution.

### 2.5 Phase 5 — Remuage, Dégorgement, Zero Dosage (Month 18+)

**Process:**

1. **Remuage.** Bottles rotated to collect yeast sediment in the neck.
2. **Dégorgement.** Necks frozen in glycol bath; the frozen lees plug is expelled.
3. **Zero dosage (Brut Nature).** Bottle topped with the same disgorged wine — no expedition liqueur.
4. **Final closure.** Cork and capsule; cage for sparkling.

**Lever setting — Vessel:** the bottle is the final vessel. Crown cap → cork closure.

---

## 3. Calendar — 2025 Vintage

| Date | Event | Phase |
|---|---|---|
| **2025-09-XX** | Harvest (Verdú, Lleida). Hand-harvest of 100 kg Trepat at optimum maturity | Vineyard |
| **2025-09-XX** | Whole-cluster press at the cellar | Phase 1 |
| **2025-09-XX** | Cold settling at 8–10°C begins (24 hours) | Phase 1 |
| **2025-09-XX + 1 day** | Indigenous fermentation begins — natural ramp to 14–16°C | Phase 2 |
| **2025-09-XX to mid-October** | Active fermentation — density drops from ~1089 g/L toward bottling target | Phase 2 |
| **Mid-October 2025** (est.) | **Bottling under crown cap** — at density 1008–1010 g/L (24 g/L residual sugar) | Phase 3 |
| **Late October 2025** | Pressure stabilizes at ~6.0 bar | Phase 4 |
| **October 2025 – Spring 2027** | **Lees aging in bottle at 12–14°C, 18–36 months** | Phase 4 |
| **Spring 2027 (target)** | **Dégorgement and zero-dosage bottling** | Phase 5 |
| **Spring 2027** | **Release** — 100 bottles, library allocation | Release |

**Note on timing:** exact harvest date depends on vintage conditions. The phases above are linked to harvest as Day 0. The 18-month lees minimum is the release trigger.

---

## 4. Photos and Videos

The full asset library for the Ancestral is documented in `products/VISUAL_BRIEF.md` (Ancestral section). Key assets:

### 4.1 Vineyard and harvest

| Asset | Path | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| Trepat cluster on vine | `photos_videos/Trepat/Trepat cluster in the field.JPG` | Harvest |
| Five clusters side by side | `photos_videos/Trepat/5 clusters of Trepat in the field.HEIC` | Harvest |
| Trepat cluster macro | `photos_videos/Trepat/Trepat_close view.HEIC` | Harvest |
| Hand harvest | `photos_videos/Trepat/Collecting Trepat.HEIC` | Harvest |
| Boxes in trailer | `photos_videos/videos/boxes of grapes_ transport.MOV` | Harvest |
| Boxes arriving at cellar | `photos_videos/general/boxes unboxing graapes.MP4` | Harvest |

### 4.2 Press and must preparation

| Asset | Path | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| Whole-cluster press reference | `photos_videos/Trepat/fermentation_with_clusters_on_top.jpg` | Press |
| Filter reference | `photos_videos/Trepat/filter.JPG` | Settling |
| Skins after press | `photos_videos/Trepat/skins_after fermentation.HEIC` | Post-press |

### 4.3 Fermentation

| Asset | Path | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| Must flowing into tank | `photos_videos/videos/Trepat in the tank flowing.MOV` | Start |
| Active fermentation | `photos_videos/videos/fermentation process.MOV` | Active |
| Fermentation bubbles | `photos_videos/videos/fermentation_process_ bubbles.MOV` | Active |
| Fermentation plot | `photos_videos/Trepat/Plot_of_fermentation process.PNG` | Documentation |
| Microbiology sampling | `photos_videos/Garnatxa/taking_samples_microbiology.HEIC` | Monitoring |
| Microbiology sampling video | `photos_videos/videos/Taking samples for microbiology.MOV` | Monitoring |

### 4.4 Bottling and lees aging

| Asset | Path | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| Ancestral bottling | `photos_videos/videos/Ancestral Trepat bottling.MP4` | Bottling |
| Bottling process | `photos_videos/videos/Bottling process Trepat Ancestral.MP4` | Bottling |

### 4.5 Dégorgement and bottle

| Asset | Path | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| Dégorgement | `photos_videos/videos/Deguelle Removing sediment Ancestral.MOV` | Dégorgement |
| Ancestral bottle | `photos_videos/Trepat/Ancestral.HEIC` | Release |
| Half bottle (color) | `photos_videos/Trepat/Half bottle Ancestral.HEIC` | Release |
| Three bottles on table | `photos_videos/Trepat/Three bottles of Ancestral at the table.HEIC` | Release |
| Empty glass (color) | `photos_videos/Trepat/Almost empty glass of Ancestral.HEIC` | Service |
| Sediment in bottle | `photos_videos/Trepat/Sediment in the bottle Ancestral.HEIC` | Pre-dégorgement |
| Three wines portfolio | `photos_videos/Trepat/Three wines.HEIC` | Release |

### 4.6 Cinematic and tasting

| Asset | Path | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Trepat magic reveal | `photos_videos/Trepat_magic_reveal.mp4` | Cinematic / premium ad |
| Pour and tasting | `photos_videos/videos/Pooring Ancestral Trying wine.MOV` | Tasting |
| Tasting | `photos_videos/videos/Trying Ancestral.MOV` | Tasting |
| Trade tasting at Avgvstvs | `photos_videos/videos/Trying Ancestral at Avgvstvs.MOV` | Trade |
| Trade tasting take 2 | `photos_videos/videos/Trying Ancestral at Avgvstvs 2.MOV` | Trade |
| Wine drops reference | `photos_videos/videos/wine_dropping.mov` | Service |
| Drop sequence | `photos_videos/videos/wine_dropping_drops.mov` | Service |
| Drops of wine | `photos_videos/videos/drops_of_wine.mov` | Service |

---

## 5. Marketing Position

The Ancestral is the **smallest, most rigorous expression** of the precision biodynamic protocol. It is the wine that demonstrates the protocol's discipline at the smallest possible scale — one hundred bottles from a single tank, a single fermentation, a single decision tree.

**Lead claim:** "A wine of single-fermentation precision and méthode traditionnelle depth, in one hundred bottles."

**Storytelling pillars:**
1. **Singularity** — one fermentation, one hundred bottles, one vintage
2. **Hybrid method** — Ancestral × Traditionnelle, two stages, one wine
3. **Verdú terroir** — continental Lleida acidity and limestone minerality

**Marketing copy:** See `products/PROMOTIONAL_MATERIALS.md` (Ancestral section) for Investor / Sommelier / Buyer / Social versions.

**Visual brief:** See `products/VISUAL_BRIEF.md` (Ancestral section) for storyboard and hero assets.

**Sales-pro persona playbook:** See `~/.hermes/skills/symbiogenesis-sales-pro/SKILL.md` (Critical Data Points, Ancestral section).

---

## 6. Quality Profile Statement

**The 2025 Trepat must's parameters are within the variety's optimum across every measured dimension:**

- Sugar at 21.2 °Bx is within the 20–22 °Bx Trepat optimum
- pH at 3.5 is at the upper edge of the ideal range for sparkling base
- Titratable acidity at 4.0 g/L is moderate for the variety
- Indigenous microbiome is robust and ready to drive a healthy spontaneous succession

**The Cascading Failure Principle from `Analysis_Holobiont.pdf` §3.1 is not applicable to this lot.** Every parameter is in range. The protocol's discipline here is observation and gentle guidance — the Five Levers of Control set to bring out the parcel's character, not to override it.

The 2025 Ancestral is a wine of excellent quality. The protocol expresses that quality through precise calibration of time, temperature, pH/oxygen, extraction, and vessel choice. The result is one hundred bottles of single-fermentation precision and méthode traditionnelle depth — the protocol's smallest and most rigorous expression.

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*Document compiled: June 2025*
*Source: protocols/Ancestral_es.pdf + Analysis_Holobiont.pdf + products/ancestral/*
*Update cycle: at each phase milestone*