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.

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.

Reviewing 2010's Muscat ramble

(1) Sep 25: M&S to market, purchased 8 42 # lugs Muscat Alexandria at $40 per.  Brix between 21 and 21.5, acid at 7.5, cellar temp 76 F.  P to house, worked with L to set up gear.  Destemmed and pressed, 60 liters of juice in a 100 liter poly tank, 72 F.  Pitched 3 x 1.5 g in 3/4 c warm water at 3:45 PM.  By 11 PM must raised to 74 F.

(2) Sep. 26: 8 AM room 74 F, must 75 F, added ice packs to juice.  2:30 PM must at 75 F and Brix down to 15!  WTF!  Going much faster than wanted.  More ice packs added.  8 PM down to 12.5 Brix, best laid plans have gone astray.   Outdoor temps are cooler, and am really thinking about trying to bring the tank outside.

(3) Sep 27: 5 AM, room 71 F, must 74 F, 8 Brix.  More ice, fans.  3 PM room 72 F, must 75, ice.

(4) Sep 28: 5:45 AM room 72 F, must 76 F, 4 Brix, switch to short scale hydrometer.  Fermentation still very active, very yeasty.  9:30 PM room 72 F, must 75 F, 1,5 Brix.  At this point I'm noticing how much skin is in the tank and vowing to not repeat this (at least not by accident) in 2011.  Ferment less active, less yeasty.

(5) Sep 29: 5:30 AM, room 72 F, must 73 F, 0.2 Brix.  Lots of CO2, same milky yellow as 2009.  8 PM, room 72 F, must 72 F, -1 Brix.  L and S transferred juice to carboys: 5 + 5 + 3 +1.  NB: the poly was too heavy to lift into a good siphoning position, and the spigot too large for a hose, so the first 5 g cb was pailed from the poly to into a funnel - lots of air.

So, 2010 was super-fast. 
The hope for 2011 is to keep it cooler and slower, and to do the primary ferm in carboys with much less airspace than the poly tank, in hopes of keeping more of the nose.

Preparing to bottle the last of the 2010 Muscat

With a ph of about 6.1 and a current SO2 reading of about 11 ppm, I'm adding about 7 ml of 10% metabisulfite solution to raise the ppm to the low 30's before bottling.  Meanwhile, here's a pic from the pre-party testing:

Labels for the 2010 Cal Blend

Did these up as 2 inch round labels:

More Muscat and the first of the 2010 Cal blend bottled

We bottled 3 more gallons of the Muscat for next week's party, and Mike bottled 5 gallons of the fabulous 2010 Cal blend.  That gives us +3 cases of 2010 Muscat, 2 cases of 2009 Merlot, 2 cases of 2010 Cal blend, about 2 cases of various 2007 Sangiovese, Barbera blend, and Tutto Rosso, and a case of our 2006 Zin Alicante blend.  If that's not enough... begorah!

Bottling some of the 2010 Muscat

Titrate tested all three carboys of the Muscat - all between 17 and 20 ppm SO2.  What I'm bottling now for immediate use in this year's new wine party I'm leaving at the current level.  Bottled a couple of cases and need to decide whether to bottle another 5 gal, or the 3.

During the winter I thought this year's wine was more floral than last year's, but it no longer seems that way.  I do think it's a bit higher in acid and I like that: more hello.

Muscat labels, 2010

Tasting the pooptivo

With only 21 days left until the yearly new wine party, we haven't bottled any of the 2010 wines.  We don't really figure to bottle any of the primitivo, though we could use our topping gallon, but we do figure to use at least 8 or 10 gallons of the muscat.  Obviously it won't get to rest in the bottle at this point: do it now?  Days before the party?  At the party as a game? 

So, I tasted the primitivo this morning. 
Still some barnyard odors, but very much dissipated from the last tasting.  Lots of cherry.  After aerating it a bit there's no hint of the barnyard in the taste - cherry and caramel says my blunt instrument of a tongue - but a very noticeable smoothness and long, long finish that I don't think we've had in any of our other efforts in the last 5 years.  Suave.  Smoove. 

Poopitivo racked & oaked; 2008 Cab S. tasted

We forged ahead and racked and oaked to Poopitivo.  Lori is grossed out by it and I kind of like it.  Racking was really only to help get it off the little sediments it was on with the hope of lessening the barnyard odors.

We also took the opportunity to pop open the 100 liter tank of North Fork Cab S from 2008.  A little brown around the edges - oxidized, just don't trust that tank - with not a big nose, but much more tamed and tasty than in prior tastings.  No reason not to have some at the summer party, and Lori thinks we ought to blend some of it.  Did not taste the 2 carboys  of Peter's batch of this wine..

We're going to rack the Poopitivo one more time

Lazy us, we were going to oak the Primitivo  today with medium toast American oak from Barrel Mills - and at the last moment we decided to rack it one more time.  So we'll do that tomorrow morning when we have a bit more time and less sun. 

Barnyard nose is the driver - though I have to say that, personally, I kind of like it.  Am thinking of doing a new label that makes the point.

Oak decisions, 2010 reds

We're going with light toast American oak from Barrel Mill for the primitivo.

Mike and Pam are working on their decision for the Cal blend.

2010 wines, SO2 added

I didn't take new readings, but working from last week's readings I raised all vessels about 30 ppm using a 10% potassium metabisulfite solution.  That's something like 1.2 tsp for the 3 gallon carboys and 2.03 tsp for the 5 gallon carboys.  Spit in the ocean for the 1 gallon jugs.  Should put us between 40 and 50 ppm, depending on how much the racking changed things last week - some of the vessels racked smooth and slow, and others were more agitated.

2nd racking of 2010 wines, at long last

Two weeks late for the reds, and three weeks late for the whites, we finally racked yesterday.  Lori and I started around 9:00 or 9:30 with the primitivo and finished up around 10:00 or 10:30 when Mike got there.  Then we racked the blend, and after that the muscat.  We were all washed up by noon. 

We did all of the work downstairs in the cellar - though I did shovel a path to the cellar trap door and I shoveled most of the back patio if we wanted to or had to wash any of the carboys outside.  (I thought we would for the muscat - more below.)  I alos set up a 6 foot table in the cellar for us to work off of rather than the small bench.

Started with PH and S02 readings (which I'll fill in below).  Did all of our racking without adding meta, but will likely go back and do so to bring things to 40 ppm.  Also mixed a new batch of 10% solution, good for a couple of months.  Need to order new Accuvin S02 tests (or settle on a replacement).

The primitivo is likely the only one of the wines that suffered for the late racking, and that only because of the barnyard odors of the yeast strain we used.  The sooner off those lees, the sooner we lose the funk.  And the lees, ladies and gentlemen, defined funk: animal, not vegetal.  Couldn't smell anything through the haze, but the taste is clearing and very cherry (I thought).  We wound up with an awkward amount of wine and finished in 3x5 and a 1.

The Grimaldi Savino blend is tasting great.  Mike says it's the magic of the petit verdot.  Who's to say no?  Very little mud, and very little loss: 3x5, 1x1, 1x.750.

The muscat is the wine I had been most worried about, never having used bentonite before.  I thought the lees were a solid clay and was really worried to have left things the extra weeks.  But that was not the case at all.  The wine has much more fruit than I remember from this time last year, and a much fresher citrus taste.  Because we had 3x750 corked and cold from the first racking we were able to end up about 700 ml short of our 2x5 1x3, so we topped the three with most of a bottle of commercial Alsatian muscat ottonnel.  Cousins.  Ben @ Slope Cellars sometimes does have a muscat alexandria from CA., but not right now.  So that 3 gal. carboy will be a little bit of a trip.  We should look down the road to see if we want to blend it.  The two fives are straightforward.  The three is about two thirds straight stuff, and the remainder is 3/4 cold stabilized and 1/4 commercial.

And - the muscat lees turned out to be fine and soft and easy enough to take care of in the slop sink.  All is well.

2010 Reds first racking

Racked both red wines today.

Free SO2 looked to be very low, and we went for a full 50 ppm, adding about a tablespoon of 10% solution to each 5 gallon carboy.  (Note to self: need to make another batch of 10% solution before next work - this one is good only through December 8.)

Both wines looked very clean - not very much lost to the lees. 

Primitivo went from 5+5+5+5+1 to 5+5+5+5, but had to use a wee but of lees and 750 ml of commercial zinfandel to get there.

Blend went from 5+5+5+3 to 5+5+5+1+1, using a tad of lees and no commercial topper.

All in all, and easy day of work, though way cold outside for the wash-up.

2010 Reds, 5 weeks in

Took a look at the Primitivo, it's possible that the the TA is still 9 g/L and the malic acid is still 110 mg/L, but it's also possible that we're at 8.5 and 75.  Can't tell what's real and what's wishful interpretation of the Accuvin charts.  PH seems to be 3.53, down from 3.57 by meter.  Splitting hairs.

Haven't tested the Cal Blend yet - waiting to see if the Savino Grimaldi clan visits.

Need to consider if we want to rack next week, or wait on a positive change of the malic acid toward 30 mg/L.

2010 Muscat, first racking

The plan:

• Add Bentonite with the racking - 5% slurry based on 1 g Bentonite per 1 gal of wine: so a carboy gets a slurry of 5 g bentonite, 95 g water. Let the slurry sit for 2 hours.
• Boost the SO2 from 12 to 40 or 50 ppm. Will add 2 tsp of 10% solution.

The reality:
Well, gee, it was just like the plan.  Peter came over and we whipped through it.  Started with 14 gallons (5+5+3+1) and finished with +13 (5+5+3 3x750 ml).  The 750's are pretty gunky, but we're just looking at them as toppers.  Don't have proper sized drilled bungs for them, so have corked them and thrown them into the fridge.  Will get stoppers and see what can be done.

This is our first use of bentonite. 

2010 Muscat, 6 weeks in

Ready to rack.
PH 3.61 (meter)
TA 9 g/L
Free SO2 11 ppm by Titret

This was the first use of the meter, and the first use of Titrets.  Love the Titrets!!  (I interpreted Accuvin as 4 ppm, which would have been close enough.)

2010 Reds, one month in

Using Accuvin, both wines show 110 mg/L - unchanged from last week.  Hmmm.  I've known for a long time that I'm not the most color acute person in the world: maybe I'm just not an Accuvin guy?  (But, really, no change from last week.)  Raise the temp in that part of the cellar?

Used the new Hanna meter for the PH.  3.45 on the Cal Blend and 3.58 on the Primitivo.  Last week we tried these tests by Accuvin and settled on 3.8 for the Primitivo and 3.5 for the blend.  I guess in the long run, unless you're making adjustments, using the same test consistently is all you really need, but I'm glad to use an instrument where I can.  I don't see myself setting up lab apparatus to replace the Accuvin.  (But I have priced it out, just for the heck of it...)

Anyway, the thing to think about is whether to try to force the MLF along, and whether we can do it without adversely affecting the Muscat that we want to keep cooler in the same space.

2010 Reds, day 22 - readings

Primitivo:

• PH 3.8, 
• SO2 18 ppm, 
• Malic Acid 110 mg/L

We didn't have PH tests (and my meter still hasn't arrived from PI Wine, sigh) when we started, so this is the first reading.  Corresponds to the high acid readings we started with, which we're hoping will be brought down by the MLF.

I think the SO2 is where we want it to be right now, low enough not to inhibit MLF.  Target SO2 for wine this high in PH would be pretty darned high, and if we hit our target Malic Acid, we'll boost the SO2 accordingly.

As with PH, we started the process without a Malic Acid reading, so 110 mg/L is the level we'll ride into next week's tests.  Could have been 2 to 3 times as high at start. Just dunna know.  Target is 30 mg/L.

And for the heck of it, of course I also tasted the juice.  As warned by the yeast sellers, this strain leaves a barnyard nose which dissipates over 6 months of aging: mooooo.   Very tart, but no off tastes at all.

And Mike's come over to test the...
Cal Blend:

• PH 3.3, 
• SO2 23 ppm, 
• Malic Acid 110 mg/L

Wow wow, seeing the different PH readings of the two and then tasting the two is a very short, very clear lesson in what PH does to your mouth.

2010 Reds, day 16: malolactic bugs added

Mike over this morning and we added the bugs and Optimalo to all vessels of both wines.  That's a full week after the Cal Blend press and 5 full days after the Primitivo crush. 

Also tested TA with fresh Accuvin kits - up around 9 for both wines.  We're looking for the MLF to bring it down some.  PH meter still hasn't arrived (halloooo, Presque Isle?) so we're just guessing it's hand in hand with the acid.

And ran into Bernardo on the street - he's put the bugs into his Staten Island red: don't know if he also used any nutrients.