S&L 2nd racking of 2008 wine

Took us longer to get to this than I realized - 1st racking was back on Jan. 4.

We racked the three 5 gallon carboys and the one 3 galon carboy all together into the 100 liter steel tank, and will oak it all there. Hopefully we'll choose & order the oak in the next day or two. Certain of medium toast (I think we want to leave it in until bottling, but we're not likely to bottle until summer or later.) But Barrel Mill spirals or Stavin cubes or staves? American or French or Hungarian? (I can't imagine myself distinguishing between these three, but maybe the better palates in the group can.)

Wine was very clean, color is right-on, a little tart. Pretty leggy: Lori thinks a higher alc. content than I'm guessing, but it's all guessing since we chapped late. Heading to someplace good.

Feb. 2009 Amari, step 4

Step 4 complete. Filtered the amaro through cheese cloth and stoppered. Tasted it off my fingers - it's pretty raw. There's a reason it wants 8 months. Thickness and viscosity of the liquor was just about right on, though. Open on December 4, 2009 - now that's a nice Xmas gift!

Feb. 2009 Amari, step 3

Step 3 completed. I've strained the herbs from the sugar / vermouth mixture, and mixed the liquor with the grain alcohol tincture. This will sit for a day or two, and then it gets strained, corked, and shelved until November or December of 2009 - it'll make a nice Xmas gift to myself, eh?

The combined drink is now 36.8% alcohol. (250 ml of 75.5% grain alcohol + 500 ml 17.5% vermouth.) The color is a yellow / amber, and very milky right now, but I'm guessing the latter is from all of the suspended particles.