2012 Merlot - productive morning

Up early to start condensing things in the cellar.

2 5 gal cbs racking into the fusti.

14 gallons of the 2012 Merlot into a fusti - 13 of it free run, one of it from a mixed free run and pressed cb.  The remaining wine got racked into a 3 gallon cb, and a half dozen 750 bottles: we'll have one this evening with Mihai and Colleen.

My first taste from the 1st carboy got the immediate reaction from me that this is the best wine we've made.  The 2nd carboy I thought was a bit sweeter, and by the third I was lost.  Help!  Someone else taste this wine.  (Or maybe I should again after breakfast.)  Need to figure out what to do re meta.  I'd like to keep this 14 gallons together for at least another half year.

I also racked the 2012 Muscat ramato.  This was left on it's lees for a year.  And there were plenty of them.  I decided to not get too crazy, and just take the top 3 gallons of the 5 into a clean cb.  That worked well - I need to bring the SO2 up - it's down below 15 ppm or so.

Did not touch the 8 gallons of 2012 Cab F.

Unearthed a case of the 1st wine Mike and Pam made at our place - the Syrah from juice.  Awaiting instructions.

Tidied up all of the empties - decided to chuck about a dozen bottles that looked like they got less than a good cleaning back in June after the party.

And I'm hoping to deal with the last of the Cab S. we made with Bernardo and Peter from Long Island grapes back in 2008.  At least 10 gallons of it.

Empty CBs are piling up.