More party prep: 2009 Merlot labels

Hadn't realized that there were no Merlot labels made - what was I thinking?  The above is based from the sheet music for the Merry Widow - below.

2009 Muscat bottled

Bottled.  Tastes right for the grape, very clear without fining.  Two cases.  Labeled and ready for the party.  Mike & Pam had a taste, too, when they came over today to check on the grenache and syrah.

Liqueurs started for the June 5, 2010 party

Double batch of the lemon sage (Juju Pongo's Love Balm), this time using a Torrentes for the white wine portion.  Single batch of the pistachio, this time using whole cloves and cinnamon bark rather than ground of each.

Oaking the 2009 blend

Very late, we've added 3/5 of the total oak to the 4 carboys of Cheatle / Lewis / Sclafani blend.  French medium toast.  Will add the remaining needed 2/5 within a couple of days, unless I totally spaz out. 

No oak to the Muscat - if one of the partners wants to experiment with this we need to break down the carboy to a 3 gal and two singles.  Might be fun to try a little light oak there.

(Mike and Pam oaked their Grenach last week with medium French, and the Syrah with heavy French.  Pam's not at all happy with the Syrah or what she said was it's pukey aftertaste.  So Mike is nuking it. )

Bottled the last of the 2007 production

The last carboy from 2007 - Peter's Sangiovese free run, got bottled today, and we'll use it for the June party.  24 bottles plus a half bottle for the cook.

Close examination of the blue tape that was on the CB shows faint ink saying that it's Barbera,  Then there's Sharpie over that saying Sangiovese.  We'd better query the cook's half bottle pretty closely...

Tags

I've become really fond of the tags we've been creating the last few years for both the wines and liqueurs  we've been making.  I think I'll start posting them to a sidebar.

TA, spinning my wheels

And then I decided to test a bottle of Ca’ del Solo Muscat for acid - 8+, compared to our wine's 7.  Also further reading (Iverson, Crowe, Warrick) says some of them think the range should be a little hoogher or lower than Accuvin's guidelines, but almost everyone talks about must, not finished wine - fermentation slightly drops TA. 

Anyway, the commercial wine has higher TA by about 1 g/L.  Crowe has a straightforward formula for acid adjustment:

1 L = 0.2642 gal.
So, 1 g/L = 
3.8g tartaric acid/G
or
18g/5 gal carbouy.

of course, Crowe desn't think you should change the acidity of finihed wine, because it might affect the long-term stability of the wine.  Iverson thinks it's fine any time during bulk aging.  Warrick - I can't figure out what he thinks on the topic.

So.
Not likely to make an adjustment now (I think), but added to the list of procedures for next year - Test TA in the must.

2009 Muscat 2nd racking

Second racking this morning, + KSO2. 

Tasting - much relieved, color great, taste right where you'd hope, adjusting for it being 10 AM and still a little dog-mouthed.  At the end of the first racking we topped off with a 750 of Muscat that we set aside as overflow at pressing, but didn't taste that 750 before using it: the tail end of it was very tart, very fizzy, and I worried I'd squirreled the carboy.  Plus intermediate tastings weren't comforting.  But this morning's wine was all happy.  Lost less than a liter in the racking, and will cold-stabilize another of the 750 set-asides and use it to top up this afternoon - unless the partners would rather use part of a commercial bottle.  I'm happy either way.

So, excellent color, good acid (by measure and taste), taste where I was hoping it would be.  Not all that much nose - not nearly as much as the just fermented juice.  Clear enough so that we might skip bentonite?  Definitely imagining it all going in the summer party, chilled and saving lives.

2009 Muscat titratable acid: 7 g/L

Used the Accuvin titratable acid test this evening on the Muscat.  7 grams per liter as tartaric acid - which means that we are in the target range for whites - 7 to 9 g/L. 

Last wine making supplies purchase of 2009

Just put in an order at Presque Isle for:

• 3/8th inch tubing - 10 feet of it and we can cut it to size as we want.  Some of the last tubing we bought got left in a bucket of water, and while it's still fine to use, the clear vinyl has turned cloudy.  Yuck;
• Solid rubber stoppers in sizes 6.5 and 7, 4 each.  It's finally occurred to me that the 2 year old Sangiovese and other old carboys really don't want a gas-lock on them any more - they want solid stoppers to hold off evaporation.  Got the two sizes because it seems that the 5 gallon carboys have changed in recent years.  Who knew?
• Titratable Acide tests from Accuvin.  This is a splurge, especially since the shelf life of the tests is only 6 months and I'm buying them now, after fermentation.  But it might be an interesting learning experience for us to match acid measurements against what we taste.  I'm betting Syrah the juice Mike & Pam have fermented will measure very low and, who knows, maybe can be touched up with just a bit of tartaric acid.  (Smart money might be against me.)
• Bentonite: the Muscat wants fining.  Whether now at 2nd racking or at a third racking, I dunno.  
• Narrow gauge hydrometer.  This will be fun for next year.  Measures from 5 to -5 brix.  Might even be interesting to look more closely at the Muscat to see how dry it really is.  I don't see it changing anything we do, just knowing a bit more.
• Corks, 1.75 inch amalgamated.  These are the cheapest natural corks PI sells, and just fine for a few years or more.  If the Grimaldi Savino gang wants to shoot higher, go for it.  I did in the 2nd year of our winemaking.  Only bought 100, at about 26 cents each.  

That's it.  Still need to make oak decisions pretty soon, and a bunch more corks later.

Feb. 2009 Amaro, 5th & final step

I filtered 200 ml. of the Feb 2009 amaro last evening.  10th months old.  Perfect amber color.  Really interesting, citrus hinting nose.  Taste - whoah!  That's no wussy drink.  That's the kind of amaro you feel smug abut ordering at a bar.  As the Who said, All the people, they stand back, when amaro walks by.   Or something like that.

Peter came over and tasted it with us.  I see Lori didn't finish hers.  (I had a second before beddy-bye last night.)

Xmas liqueurs, errors and omissions

We have an Anisette and a Ginger Cardamom batch going.  The Anisette is from Meilach and the G/C from Rathburn (or it's Rathburn's Ginger plus a couple of Cardamom pods suggested by Meilach).

I was putting the simple syrup together last night and I realized that Meilach and Rathbun use different proportions.  Meilach is 2 to 1 sugar to water, and Rathbun is 3 to 2.5.  I automatically made the Meilach syrup, and now have to decide whether to make the ginger a little sweeter than it's author would, or make another batch of syrup.  Plus I misremembered the final volumes - I forgot that the final volume = the sugar content, not the water, so I would up making double the amount I need.  Yo, I have a lot of syrup right now - anyone need any?

Time to start thinking about the 2nd racking

Kids, it's time to think about the second racking.  It's already been a month since the first racking.  How much longer to we want to go?  Xmas week?  A full two months to the 9th or 10th of January 2010?

And for the Syrah - do we need to do a second racking at all?

For the Muscat, when do we fine?  Before 2nd racking?  Before 3rd?

With the second racking, it's also time to be looking at oak for the reds: Barrel Mill spirals?  Stavin cubes?  I don't think any of our batched are big enough for a half-barrel, and would we go smaller?

1st Racking - Rhone Blend

We started by racking the free run Grenache. Tasted vibrant and I am thinking of making some Rose to drink next summer. Needed to top it off with a 750 Rose 100% Grenache from Tavel. That still left the carboy a little short so we topped it off with the Pressed Grenache/Syrah juice.

Next we racked the remainder of the Pressed Grenache/Syrah juice. Between what we used to top off the free run Grenache and this racking we were short probably about a magnum. Topped this carboy off with the 100% Syrah juice. Steve seems fascinated and off balance by the fresh juice start.

That left racking the 100% Syrah juice. This didn't taste a vibrant as the Grenache but had some nice depth. Rather than top it off, we chose to transfer this to one 3-gallon and one 1-gallon carboy. Hopefully we can get a few bottles of pure Syrah to experiment with.

Pictures from 1st Racking

1st Racking, 2009

(Merlot blend lees on the left, Muscat on the right.  You lose the pop art sense of things when you save to web-safe colors.)

About 5 weeks after pressing, 1st racking.

I started puttering around and getting ready early.  Lori joined me & we started with the Muscat.  (Peter's out at Montauk.)

Muscat lees were pretty firm and the wine clear enough to watch through.  We used the racking wand and a clip on the neck of the carboy to ease things.  Lost very little volume in the process, and were able to top off with a single 750 ml overflow bottle.  But - doh! - we never even tasted the 750 when we opened it, and didn't realize until after we'd poured it in that it was not fresh and had a pretty heavy tingle.  Will taste the combined wine every couple of days for a while to make sure we don't have a problem.  (I knew I smelled something off as we were ending the work - I just didn't react to it.)

Added 3/4 tsp (1.5 g) KSO2 to get to 40 parts per million in the 5 gal. Muscat, and to all the other wines we worked with today.

Moved on to the Merlot blend.  Of the 25 gallons, we lost about 1.5 gal. of volume.  Beautiful, psycho-purple lees.  Some taste variation from carboy to carboy, but generally very happy stuff.  Ended with four 5 gal. carboys, one 3 gal carboys, and a couple of 750's (which need airlocks or will go bad - had no more small bored plugs).

Mike and Pam came over after we had finished with the Merlot.  Hopefully Mike will post about the top-ups to the Grenache.  Pam tasted the Grenache and seemed pretty happy.  End result was one 5 gal. carboy all Grenache, one 5 gal carboy Grenache + a 750 of commercial Grenache rose, and a little topping from the Syrah, one 3 gallon carboy of the Syrah and a one gallon jug of the Syrah.

And somewhere along the way while I was cleaning things today, I broke an empty carboy.  Sad.  It made me wonder how I got into a fourth year of doing this without having already broken one, but still, an ugly waste.

Pressing day + 19, 2009: more clarity

Same 750 of overflow Muscat.  Now much more clear - hard to believe it would have happened given the opaqueness of the juice on pressing day.

We should expect to rack the weekend of the 7th / 8th November?

Pressing day + 8, 2009: more colors

A week past pressing day, colors are starting to change for real. None of the yogurt color left in the Grenache. And the Muscat has turned the color of lemonade or orangeade as sediments fall out. On one of the overflow 750's of the Muscat the wine in the neck has nearly turned clear, and you can see the very thick lees forming. Which, of course, raises the question: battonage anyone?

No real delta to the Syrah or Merlot blend colors.

Bubbling has died down considerably.

Lending the new press

Going to lend the new press to the 4th Ave group this evening or tomorrow. They're also working with grapes from Lapide and started 7 or 8 days after our crush.

About the press: after washing it when we were done with our pressing, I used mineral oil (food grade) on the screw and the ratchet - anything that would have skins ground into threads. And the ratchet seems to be moving more freely.

Colors

The top picture is the Grenache with a little Syrah. The bottom shows the Cab/Merlot on the left and the free run Grenache on the right.

Moving the Wine to Carboys

A happy day of wine making brought smiles to everyone's faces.

Wicked sneezing and the color of Grenache

Yes, all that sneezing was the trumpet call of a wicked cold. But on the plus side, I get to stare at the wine.

The neck and top quarter of the Grenache is turning a more wine-like color, less yogurty. Last evening one of the Syrah cbs - a little over-filled - kept pushing up its rubber cork. Rather than take wine out, I switched the cb over to one of the orange caps, which seem to be more forgiving.

That is all.

Pressing day, 2009

A beautiful day.

Started puttering around at 7:30. Combined the muscat into a 5 gallon cb, 2 750 ml bottles, and on 375 ml. Approaching dry. Put another cup into the fridge to taste.

Peter came by at 10, we put the new press downstairs, and we got to work, Peter scoooping and Lori and I getting the juice into carboys - 20 gallons of free-run. Then we tried to get to work pressing and found ourselves pretty much unable to get the ratchet working properly. It got a bit better as we went - still not quite right - and we bulled a full 5 gallons of pressed wine out of the lees. So - the 10 cases / 360 lbs. for the Merlot blend yielded 25 gallons.

Mike & Pam arrived 11ish and got ot work.

The Syrah juice came up a bit shy of 6 gallons. 5 went into a cb, and the spare was set aside to top off the Grenache, if needed.

The Grenache was pink & opaque. 1 cb was filled with free run, and the second cb was about 4.5 gallons mixed free run and press, and a couple quarts of the Syrah.

We stopped for some bread and cheese. David D. came buy with a bottle of the 4th Ave. group's 2008 effort from juice & concentrate. They'll likely borrow the new press for next week.

Lori did most of the topside cleanup, and I rearranged and cleaned downstairs. By 2 I was sunning myself out back. Life is worth living, and filled with wine.

Well, we closed our eyes and threw our money...

... and it landed in a 40 cm dual ratchet basket press at Lapide's. The deal is done. Let's hope our nieces' and nephews' children are still enjoying it when we're a-mouldering in the grave.

Malolactic culture added

I just added the malolactic culture to all three red wines. We're using Chr Hansen Viniflora Oenos. 1.5 gram package, shared out amongst all the containers.

Ferment day 7 AM, 2009 - quietude

Hummmmmmm.

Didn't bother with temps. No cap action in Grenache. Little or no in Merlot blend. Everything (except Muscat) says go.

Will ask M if he wants me to combine the Syrah to protect it.

We can add malo bugs today and let it work before crush.

End of ferment day 6, 2009

Mike & Pam are set to press on Sunday, and that looks fine for their juice. Little delta in either the Syrah or Grenache. Temps within 1/2 degree of last reading. Light sizzle.

Merlot blend, even though it last read around zero Brix, has legs and is still forming a small cap. May press Sunday, may push it off until Monday.

Muscat has barely budged sugar level in last 36 hours. Well, we'll just go a long for the ride. Won't chill it. Did aerate it a bit. Might combine it to a full 5 gal and a 1 gal after tomorrow's Market trip, and then just tip my hat to it.

Ferment day 6 AM, 2009

Everything looking fine.

Grenache and Syrah pretty much have hit steady.

Blend still cooling, cap down to 2".

Added a tad of ice to the bucket surrounding the Muscat - not as much as I'd like, but what I had. Should take Brix again this evening.

End of day 5, 2009

All singing, all dancing. All wine temps continue to fall except the Muscat, which still has the furthest to go.

Syrah Brix is aprox. zero.

Grenache is sooooooo ready to press.

Merlot blend is still throwing up a heck of a cap. Lori's decided that if she wakes up in the middle of the night she'll punch it down again.

Syrah Juice Fermenting

Making wine from juice for the first time is challenging Steve's on-line oenology degree. While these are definitely throwing off his rythym, they are showing signs of life. The Grenache needs a partner and hopefully this will work out.

Day 5, 2009, AM

(I should probably point out - because I won't remember it next year - that I'm counting days of fermentation, and calling the crush date Day zero.)

Both the Merlot blend and the Grenache have brix readings near zero. Both are still fermenting, the Merlot pretty vigorously (and still 76 F), and the Grenache at a much lower level (73 F). The Grenache looks definite fr Saturday. We might be pushing it a bit to do the Merlot then.

Spent some time with the Muscat. One carboy bubbling vigorusly, and the larger one not. Took Brix from the large one, though, and it's down to 10. Temp 72 F. I blended some of the juice from the two cbs together, and added ice to the tubs holding the cbs.

Syrah is at 72 F. Ran out of time and did not get to take the Brix, but it was at 2.5 on the 29th. Will get a reading this evening. On the weekend it will likely go into a 6 gal. carboy - if it goes stiller before then, I might combine the two half-filled 5's into a full 5 and a 1 gal. jug, to minimize air contact.

End of day 4, 2009

Pietro looked in on the wine at about 18:30. We didn't do a full punchdown, but fiddled about and discussed purchasing a new press on Saturday. Was very happy to see that the smaller Muscat cb was in full fermenting swing - plopping the bubbler. Will watch the temp tomorrow AM and may decide to ice it down.

M&P here at about 8 PM. We punched down the grapes and chatted through what supplies might be needed.

9:30 temp check of everything, but too pooped to take Brix reading. Everything continues to descend except the Muscat, which is rising. Everything seems right-on. Injected a couple of squirts from the ore active small Muscat cb into the less active large one. Hopeful for Saturday, but might need to push off a day or two for the Merlot blend.

Plus ultra.

Day 4, 2009 6:30 AM

For the Merlot blend, the Grenache and the Syrah, nothing of special note except to say that it looks like M&P will get a very good yield from the Grenache - grapes are almost fully dessicated and going to need very little pressing. Will be lots of free flow.

I can't tell what the heck is happening with the Muscat. If Brix isn't lower in this evening's read, it'll be time to worry.

End of day 3, 2009

Pickle jars of Muscat juice over chilled, solidified lees. Gooooood morning!

Grenache (1 Brix) and Syrah (2.5 Brix) nearly dry! Will recalibrate tomorrow, but it was pretty obvious that the Grenache was speeding through things quicker than the rest of the wine. Mike and Pam should expect to press Saturday or Sunday, for sure.

Merlot blend is at 5 Brix (subject to the same calibration). Cap is still rebuilding every few hours (punched down at 6:30 and at 9:30).

Muscat... I started trying to cool it at 7:30 and am considering moving it outdoors. Currently at room temperature and only down 1 Brix. Buy room temp is 10' higher than textbook for whites. (On the other hand, we did not use a low temp yeast.) We'll see.

I also added back the chilled juice from the lees that I refrigerated after the initial settling. Total loss was between 2 or 3 cups. Nice.

Day 3, 2009, AM

Grenache seems like it's starting to slow - same temp as last evening. Cap maybe a little less vigorous.

Merlot blend seems at it's height. +5" cap, up 1.5' temp from last night.

Grenache same temp as last night, pinprick bubbles have started to form foam over 1/2 surface. Will get Brix this evening.

Muscat temp raised 4.5' from last night to 76.5. 1/2" foam on larger cb, less on smaller. Want to start cooling this. Will check references for optimal temp. Have moved to a hopefully cooler spot in the cellar, and placed cbs into galvanized tubs for icing down.

Everything is where it ought to be, ladies and gentlemen.

End of day 2, 2009

Blend climbed 7' from this morning and is down to 15 brix.
Grenache climbed another 5.5', to 82', and it's brix is approaching 10 - very quick (and will want to recalibrate the hydrometer, to be sure).

The caps are at the max on both these wines - Pam and Mike are missing a good show. Punchdowns are psychedelic.

Did not record brix from the Syrah, but it is continuing to be very active, temp 79', same as this morning.

Muscat is starting to do something - ferment or rot - and is only up .5' from this morning at a still cool 72. This is really right on schedule. Should have action in the AM.

The room is the warmest it's been - 72'.
Lots of CO2, lots of grape smell. No flies. Floor is pretty clean.

A boy and his masher

Ever since seeing a couple of CrushNet videos showing workers doing punchdowns, I've realized that our hereditary approach to punchdowns needed some adjustment. Some oomph. A commercial stainless steel punchdown tool is $85, and I couldn't get my brother to make us one - so today I hit the Bowery, and in the first restaurant supply place I went into I found this lovely mammoth potato masher for $13.95. No tax. Vavoom!

Grenache in Action

The birth of the Savino Grimaldi Family vineyards "Melo's Blend" Genache, Syrah. We are all about the hope now.

Destemming

Pam destemming grapes for the first time. A task she was seemingly born to do!

The Operation

Thanks to the Lewis Cheatle Family winery for lending us their state of the art operation! Savino Grimaldi Family wine has begun.