Showing posts with label 2006 production. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2006 production. Show all posts
Saturday, December 10, 2016
Sunday, September 25, 2016
Which yeast for our Chardonnay
From More Wine's yeast matching guide for Chardonnay:
- ICV-D47: Complex white with citrus, dried apricot, pineapple and floral notes. Lees contact gives ripe spicy aromas with tropical and citrus tones developing, along with nuts. Adds volume/mouthfeel. Barrel fermentation and lees aging recommended. Good single-strain or as a blending component.
- T306: Exotic fruit and pineapple, with elegant white fruit notes in Chardonnay. Contributes to mouthfeel and lees aging is recommended. Good as a single-strain or as a blending component.
- CY3079: Classic white burgundy: rich, full mouthfeel with aromas of fresh butter, almonds, honey, white fruit, flowers and pineapple. Barrel fermentation and lees aging recommended.
- QA23: Usually used in terpenic whites, it enhances the floral, aromatic aspects of a grape. In Chardonnay, floral, white peaches are emphasized with an equal clarity in both aroma and taste. Great as a “top-note” in a blend.
- BA11: Fresh fruit aromas of orange blossom, pineapple, and apricot develop, along with clean aromatics, lingering flavours, and an intensified mouthfeel.
- Rhône 4600: Apricot and tropical fruit with enhanced mouthfeel contribution. Delivers fat roundness and balance along with light esters. Good as a blending component.
- ICV-D254: Usually used as a blending component, D254 gives stone fruit flavours, aromas of nuts, smoke, and sourdough, along with a creamy mouthfeel. Good for adding complexity and mouthfeel to a blend.
- ICV-GRE: Brings fresh melon foreword along with good mouthfeel. Also effective for reducing herbaceous and vegetal notes in under-ripe fruit.
What about us folks who don't want their Chardonnay to taste like butter?
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Attending to past sins
5 hours in the cellar this morning and it looks like we're in shape to at least make white wine next weekend - grapes and time providing.
Spent a chunk of time going through past posts and other notes and see that our white wines seem to loose about 10 to 15 ppm per year in carboys. Seems to be true regardless of fermentation with or without skin contact, and whether or not the wine was left on its lees. With zero proof or correlation to the reds I decided to treat them the same way, so where we've raised them by N in the past I figured a year later we were N-10 to 15. Sue me.
Made a new batch of 10% solution, and this time did it in a wide jar so I could easily draw off by the ml instead of pouring out into spoons.
Added 3 ml 10% solution to the 3 gal WA Merlot.
Added 14 ml 10% solution to the fusti of WA Merlot.
Spent a chunk of time going through past posts and other notes and see that our white wines seem to loose about 10 to 15 ppm per year in carboys. Seems to be true regardless of fermentation with or without skin contact, and whether or not the wine was left on its lees. With zero proof or correlation to the reds I decided to treat them the same way, so where we've raised them by N in the past I figured a year later we were N-10 to 15. Sue me.
Made a new batch of 10% solution, and this time did it in a wide jar so I could easily draw off by the ml instead of pouring out into spoons.
Added 3 ml 10% solution to the 3 gal WA Merlot.
Added 14 ml 10% solution to the fusti of WA Merlot.
Took a taste of Peter's unchapatized 2008 LI Cab S. Remember, these grapes measured a very low brix, and finished ferment in 3 or 4 days. Bernardo and I decided to chapatize and restart the fermentation, Peter didn't. (Lori would have stopped me if I didn't decide so quickly.) Got this wine to my lips and gasped That's Not Wine!! It was something like wine, but I don't know what exactly. Down the drain I sent it.
Then there was a 5 gal CB of my chapatized version. It was wine, but it was not good. Salute!
Then there was a 5 gal mystery CB. Salute!
Then there was a 3 liter growler of 2006 Zin that I decided to re-oak as an experiment, then forgot about. It has a bubbler n it that, no surprise, had gone dry. Salute! and the glass was so stained that I pitched it.
Then there was a 1 gal bottle of the 2009 Merlot / Cab S / P Verdot blend that was overflow from one of the rackings. Another dried out bubbler. Idiot. Too bad, because this was good party wine. Salute!
Then I tasted the two remaining 2010 Primitivo carboys. The first one, honest to god, seemed to have zero barnyard odors and I quickly decided to rack it. The second was not so completely clear (this was the CB I referred to as Charlie in all of my notes) and I decided to add so2 and set it aside. I also decided to raise the so2 in the bottles I was making - I did that by mixing 10% solution with wine, and that adding that mixture to each bottle before filling.
I've got to say that I was not so confident in the lack of barnyard odors during the bottling, while there was lots or aerating happening, but I persevered. It left me less sure of what I would do with the 2nd cb of primitivo, long term.
What was left to deal with was the 8 gallons of cab f. But by now it was 1 PM, I hadn't showered or eaten yet, and called it a day.
Then there was a 5 gal CB of my chapatized version. It was wine, but it was not good. Salute!
Then there was a 5 gal mystery CB. Salute!
Then there was a 3 liter growler of 2006 Zin that I decided to re-oak as an experiment, then forgot about. It has a bubbler n it that, no surprise, had gone dry. Salute! and the glass was so stained that I pitched it.
Then there was a 1 gal bottle of the 2009 Merlot / Cab S / P Verdot blend that was overflow from one of the rackings. Another dried out bubbler. Idiot. Too bad, because this was good party wine. Salute!
Then I tasted the two remaining 2010 Primitivo carboys. The first one, honest to god, seemed to have zero barnyard odors and I quickly decided to rack it. The second was not so completely clear (this was the CB I referred to as Charlie in all of my notes) and I decided to add so2 and set it aside. I also decided to raise the so2 in the bottles I was making - I did that by mixing 10% solution with wine, and that adding that mixture to each bottle before filling.
I've got to say that I was not so confident in the lack of barnyard odors during the bottling, while there was lots or aerating happening, but I persevered. It left me less sure of what I would do with the 2nd cb of primitivo, long term.
What was left to deal with was the 8 gallons of cab f. But by now it was 1 PM, I hadn't showered or eaten yet, and called it a day.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Holy Moly - 2006 winemaking notes
Just ran into these notes, and decided to post them for posterity.
( Saturday, October 7, 2006 -- Making this first entry a week after we started, relying on memory.
060930 - Went Saturday AM, Sep. 30 to Lapides market in the Brooklyn Terminal Market. This is where Bernardo & his winemaking friends have been buying grapes in memory. At 8 AM most of the other customers there seemed to be other home winemakers.
Palettes of different types of grapes outside the building. Walking from palette to palette and pulling individual grapes from the sides of crates we tasted alacante (very juicy), merlot, zinfandel, grenache (unbelievably sweet), and others that I'm not remembering.
Spoke with Mrs. Lapide - I think we had already been leaning toward zinfandel, talked to her about blending and she thought blending with the alacante would save us money and "achieve the same goal", by which I took her to mean having zinfandel wine. The ration she figured would work was 10 cases zinfandel, four alacante bouchet, and that's what we settled on.
The zinfandel grapes were 36 lbs. to the crate, and the alacante 42 lbs. to the crate - that's 528 lbs. of grapes. I think the total cost, with some chemicals, yeast and an odd or end was 490. initial plan was to use existing carboys and jugs, existing poly drum, existing crusher and existing wood barrel.
Got the grapes to 438 11th. Washed them by the 1/2 crate and carried them to the cellar where we crushed them into the poly. When we were just more than half through the grapes we were two thirds full in the poly, so went to fetch a second one from 3rd Street (yes, the drum fits in the back of the Mini) - washed and crushed the remaining grapes into that.
All the barrels and tools and our own hands we washed in a solution of water and potassium metabisulfite - 3 tsp to a gallon. After the initial washings we kept a 5 gallon bucket of the solution on hand for washing our paddles and tools and hands.
The washing of the grapes we did consisted only of hosing them and checking for rot or raisins and removing them. (I subsequently read in the Presque Isle pamphlet that they are not a fan of washing - but to pick for rot & raisins.)
After lunch we dove into the grapes to pull out what stems we could. Bernardo's approach was ernest, but not religious. I'm guessing we removed half the stems.
The yeast we bought was Montrachet yeast. Bernardo had more packets of another Montrechet yeast variety, and he wound up making a mixed batch of both - I need to get the proportions. Yeast was mixed Saturday afternoon, frothed, and poured into the grapes around 8 PM Saturday evening.
At the end of the day the only things we had introduced into the grapes was the yeast and whatever water & potassium metabisulfite might have been left on our hands or the tools.
061001 -
Sunday. About 6:15 AM, first stirring after yeast had been added (about 10 hours prior). No greatly noticeable difference. Grapes floating on juice, bit not obviously giving up their own juice, and little bubbling or fermenting.
That evening the floating grapes were more obviously formed into a cap a few inches thick. Active fermenting had really started.
061002 -
Monday. Have pictures from that morning - cap is 4 inches thick. Foam and fermentation is very active.
Evening - foam and fermentation is now breaking through the cap. Everything is wildly alive. Lots of effervescence - very heady when you get your face into the barrel. The whole house now smells of something between grape and wine. The juice is quite warm.
Bernardo, on advice from the master, Bernard, judges this is a good time to add something to help the structure (huh?) of the wine. This is practice in the group, not based on measurement. So, in goes the tartaric acid. Need to check with Bernardo re the quantity we added.
When the cap was fully broken up and the juice stirred the foam from fermentation was vivid in color and almost taffy or meringue-like in volume and glossiness and volume.
061003 & 060104 -
Tuesday and Wednesday. The cap crests at about 6 inches. Lots of deepening nose, lots of effervescence. Fermentation still very active, but does not approach again the witches' cauldron of Monday evening. Moisture collects o the underside of the plastic we cover the drums with. A sense that the grapes are further desiccating. Continue breaking up the cap and stirring twice a day. No other chemicals are added.
I pick up a thermometer for the cellar. Bernardo had been concerned, I think, that we were too warm. We installed a little venting fan earlier in the week to cool & help get some of the gasses out. But the Presque Isle pamphlet and subsequent reading calls for red wine first fermentation at 75 to 80 F. We're between 70 & 75 now. But will likely go warmer as the furnace kicks in and it cools outside. Might want to replace the venting fan with the original pane of glass.
061005 & 060106
Thursday and Friday. Fermentation seems to be tailing off. The cap is decreasing, less structure each time we stir. Bubbling from fermentation is finer, and all bubbles dissipate within a minute or two of breaking up the cap. Still effervescence above the juice. The color of the juice is deep purple, and it's very opaque.
Friday evening we prepare the carboys for the first racking on Sunday, washing them with plain water.
061007 -
Saturday. Much like Friday evening. Deep color. Very little structure to the cap. Foam all dissolves within a minute or two of beginning to stir.
061008
Sunday - Am reading in Jon Iverson's Home Winemaking, Step by Stepre potassium metabisulfite -
Duh. Likely the reason I often feel a small asthmatic episode starting when I have my fist sips of red wine. Also may be why I had one when I dipped my head into the barrel a few days ago when stirring. Thought I might have been winded from schlepping the carboys around, but maybe not.
Pressing day. Started clearing space in the cellar around 7:30. Gathered the press and odds & ends over to 11th Street. The press had a section of railroad rail as the top cross to it's frame - all heavy as hell. Managed to get everything into the cellar, sulfite washed & ready to rock still early.
Poured grapes from both poly drums in equal amounts so that all of the carboys will have pretty much the same blend of alicante and zinfandel.
Ran the press once and thought we would run it just a second time, but started thinking it would be awfully full and we would not get as much juice as three presses. Wound up filling 8 carboys plus 1 3 liter jug plus one 2 liter jug plus (for yucks) two wine bottles. Used a mix of intestine style and inverted jelly jar style gas gismos (which must have some more common name. Bernardo carried off the skins and stems for compost.
( Saturday, October 7, 2006 -- Making this first entry a week after we started, relying on memory.
060930 - Went Saturday AM, Sep. 30 to Lapides market in the Brooklyn Terminal Market. This is where Bernardo & his winemaking friends have been buying grapes in memory. At 8 AM most of the other customers there seemed to be other home winemakers.
Palettes of different types of grapes outside the building. Walking from palette to palette and pulling individual grapes from the sides of crates we tasted alacante (very juicy), merlot, zinfandel, grenache (unbelievably sweet), and others that I'm not remembering.
Spoke with Mrs. Lapide - I think we had already been leaning toward zinfandel, talked to her about blending and she thought blending with the alacante would save us money and "achieve the same goal", by which I took her to mean having zinfandel wine. The ration she figured would work was 10 cases zinfandel, four alacante bouchet, and that's what we settled on.
The zinfandel grapes were 36 lbs. to the crate, and the alacante 42 lbs. to the crate - that's 528 lbs. of grapes. I think the total cost, with some chemicals, yeast and an odd or end was 490. initial plan was to use existing carboys and jugs, existing poly drum, existing crusher and existing wood barrel.
Got the grapes to 438 11th. Washed them by the 1/2 crate and carried them to the cellar where we crushed them into the poly. When we were just more than half through the grapes we were two thirds full in the poly, so went to fetch a second one from 3rd Street (yes, the drum fits in the back of the Mini) - washed and crushed the remaining grapes into that.
All the barrels and tools and our own hands we washed in a solution of water and potassium metabisulfite - 3 tsp to a gallon. After the initial washings we kept a 5 gallon bucket of the solution on hand for washing our paddles and tools and hands.
The washing of the grapes we did consisted only of hosing them and checking for rot or raisins and removing them. (I subsequently read in the Presque Isle pamphlet that they are not a fan of washing - but to pick for rot & raisins.)
After lunch we dove into the grapes to pull out what stems we could. Bernardo's approach was ernest, but not religious. I'm guessing we removed half the stems.
The yeast we bought was Montrachet yeast. Bernardo had more packets of another Montrechet yeast variety, and he wound up making a mixed batch of both - I need to get the proportions. Yeast was mixed Saturday afternoon, frothed, and poured into the grapes around 8 PM Saturday evening.
At the end of the day the only things we had introduced into the grapes was the yeast and whatever water & potassium metabisulfite might have been left on our hands or the tools.
061001 -
Sunday. About 6:15 AM, first stirring after yeast had been added (about 10 hours prior). No greatly noticeable difference. Grapes floating on juice, bit not obviously giving up their own juice, and little bubbling or fermenting.
That evening the floating grapes were more obviously formed into a cap a few inches thick. Active fermenting had really started.
061002 -
Monday. Have pictures from that morning - cap is 4 inches thick. Foam and fermentation is very active.
Evening - foam and fermentation is now breaking through the cap. Everything is wildly alive. Lots of effervescence - very heady when you get your face into the barrel. The whole house now smells of something between grape and wine. The juice is quite warm.
Bernardo, on advice from the master, Bernard, judges this is a good time to add something to help the structure (huh?) of the wine. This is practice in the group, not based on measurement. So, in goes the tartaric acid. Need to check with Bernardo re the quantity we added.
When the cap was fully broken up and the juice stirred the foam from fermentation was vivid in color and almost taffy or meringue-like in volume and glossiness and volume.
061003 & 060104 -
Tuesday and Wednesday. The cap crests at about 6 inches. Lots of deepening nose, lots of effervescence. Fermentation still very active, but does not approach again the witches' cauldron of Monday evening. Moisture collects o the underside of the plastic we cover the drums with. A sense that the grapes are further desiccating. Continue breaking up the cap and stirring twice a day. No other chemicals are added.
I pick up a thermometer for the cellar. Bernardo had been concerned, I think, that we were too warm. We installed a little venting fan earlier in the week to cool & help get some of the gasses out. But the Presque Isle pamphlet and subsequent reading calls for red wine first fermentation at 75 to 80 F. We're between 70 & 75 now. But will likely go warmer as the furnace kicks in and it cools outside. Might want to replace the venting fan with the original pane of glass.
061005 & 060106
Thursday and Friday. Fermentation seems to be tailing off. The cap is decreasing, less structure each time we stir. Bubbling from fermentation is finer, and all bubbles dissipate within a minute or two of breaking up the cap. Still effervescence above the juice. The color of the juice is deep purple, and it's very opaque.
Friday evening we prepare the carboys for the first racking on Sunday, washing them with plain water.
061007 -
Saturday. Much like Friday evening. Deep color. Very little structure to the cap. Foam all dissolves within a minute or two of beginning to stir.
061008
Sunday - Am reading in Jon Iverson's Home Winemaking, Step by Stepre potassium metabisulfite -
Some people are allergic to sulfites and asthmatics are are particularly sensitive to it...
Duh. Likely the reason I often feel a small asthmatic episode starting when I have my fist sips of red wine. Also may be why I had one when I dipped my head into the barrel a few days ago when stirring. Thought I might have been winded from schlepping the carboys around, but maybe not.
Pressing day. Started clearing space in the cellar around 7:30. Gathered the press and odds & ends over to 11th Street. The press had a section of railroad rail as the top cross to it's frame - all heavy as hell. Managed to get everything into the cellar, sulfite washed & ready to rock still early.
Poured grapes from both poly drums in equal amounts so that all of the carboys will have pretty much the same blend of alicante and zinfandel.
Ran the press once and thought we would run it just a second time, but started thinking it would be awfully full and we would not get as much juice as three presses. Wound up filling 8 carboys plus 1 3 liter jug plus one 2 liter jug plus (for yucks) two wine bottles. Used a mix of intestine style and inverted jelly jar style gas gismos (which must have some more common name. Bernardo carried off the skins and stems for compost.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Aged of Re-Zin
I've been wanting to do this for a while. Took 3 liters of the 2006 Zin-Alicante, unbottled it, put it together in a jug with a bit more of the Barrel Mill medium toast oak, a bit of meta, and put an airlock on it. Half wanting to just plain experiment with more oaking, and half wanting to have some of that vintage with less fizz. And it'll give me a good reason to make a new label and a bad pun.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Tasting the 2006 Zin~Alicante
Just an FYI - opened a bottle of the 2006 Zinfandel / Alicante blend. From the label (which I remember making), it could have gone into the bottle as early as the beginning of June, 2007.
I decided before opening it I would decant it. A quick taste confirmed why - fizzy. But 10 minutes later, not so and very nice. Very cherry. Color is super - thank you to the black A.B. grape. No idea whether it's tasting differently from a year ago. We do have a completely unoaked (naked) bottle left (1), but we don't have any that went through a a longer oaking. Am half tempted to take 5 bottles, put them in a gallon jug and do the deed - maybe with the leftover spirals from Peter's 2007 cbs.
I decided before opening it I would decant it. A quick taste confirmed why - fizzy. But 10 minutes later, not so and very nice. Very cherry. Color is super - thank you to the black A.B. grape. No idea whether it's tasting differently from a year ago. We do have a completely unoaked (naked) bottle left (1), but we don't have any that went through a a longer oaking. Am half tempted to take 5 bottles, put them in a gallon jug and do the deed - maybe with the leftover spirals from Peter's 2007 cbs.
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