Determination of the HCl index in wine and must

The HCl index is an indicator of the tannin polymerisation state and provides an indication of how these develop over time. The evolution during the micro-oxygenation of tannins involves an increase in their volume and this index tends to decrease during this phase while it decreases more significantly after fining or during ageing.
The CDR WineLab® method optimises the reference method (Ribéreau-Gayon and Stonestreet) both from the point of view of ease of use and repeatability The standard deviation, in fact, ranges from 4.6 of the reference method to 2.5 of the CDR WineLab® method.
The determination of the HCl index is part of a broad analysis panel developed by the CDR laboratories, implemented on CDR WineLab®, which offers the oenologist a precise and accurate control of both the polyphenolic extraction phase in red wines (maceration), of the subsequent polyphenolic stabilisation phase (and therefore of the colour stabilisation) that occurs with the micro-oxygenation process.