# New barrel topping and blending



## mainshipfred (May 31, 2017)

I'll try to make this short but want to make sure I give all the information for your recommendations.
I have a new 6.5 gal barrel I just filled with Syrah from juice and grapes. Since it is new I don't want to leave it for more then 5 weeks and want to immediately fill it again. I would like to fill it with a RJS En Primeur Pinot Noir that has been aging for 3 months now in glass with no oak. I need to top the barrel and not sure what to use. I could buy a 3L box of Pinot or use the only other wine I have aging and would consider mixing which is a low end 10L WE Eclipse Chilean Malbec or possibly the additional 1/2 gallon of Syrah. I just don't know enough about what goes with what. Any help would be appreciated.


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## sour_grapes (May 31, 2017)

IMHO, Pinot Noir is significantly different in character than either Malbec or Syrah. I would be inclined to buy boxed wine....

BUT

Are you sure you want to oak your Pinot? Be careful not to overdo it! http://www.princeofpinot.com/article/1744/


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## mainshipfred (May 31, 2017)

sour_grapes said:


> IMHO, Pinot Noir is significantly different in character than either Malbec or Syrah. I would be inclined to buy boxed wine....
> 
> BUT
> 
> Are you sure you want to oak your Pinot? Be careful not to overdo it! http://www.princeofpinot.com/article/1744/



Thanks and thanks for the article. I did find different views on oaking Pinot Noir but mine definitely needs something. Perhaps with the second wine I could leave it in the barrel for four weeks or less. I do have a Trio Red I could put in and there are plenty of Red Blend boxes. I just want to keep it full until my fall wine is ready to go. Or maybe do the Trio Red first then the Pinot.


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## Boatboy24 (May 31, 2017)

Does your Syrah have malolactic bacteria in it? If so, you do NOT want to put kit wine in that barrel. Kits are balanced with Malic and seem to have a lot of it. Subjecting it to that bacteria will result in a very flabby kit wine.


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## mainshipfred (May 31, 2017)

Boatboy24 said:


> Does your Syrah have malolactic bacteria in it? If so, you do NOT want to put kit wine in that barrel. Kits are balanced with Malic and seem to have a lot of it. Subjecting it to that bacteria will result in a very flabby kit wine.



It does. Are you saying not to ever put kit wine in it or just do not mix it


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## Boatboy24 (May 31, 2017)

You don't want to have a kit wine in there at this point. That oak is now full of MLB, and it will go to work on any wine in there that has malic acid, given conditions are right. I have 3 Vadai barrels, and one is specifically for kit wines only.


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## mainshipfred (Jun 1, 2017)

Boatboy24 said:


> You don't want to have a kit wine in there at this point. That oak is now full of MLB, and it will go to work on any wine in there that has malic acid, given conditions are right. I have 3 Vadai barrels, and one is specifically for kit wines only.



Thanks Jim, a little confused though. I guess I'm not fully understanding the malic/MLB or other acids relationship. I'll do some research to get a better understanding and will probably ask for more help. In the meantime the kit wines stay out.


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## cmason1957 (Jun 1, 2017)

mainshipfred said:


> Thanks Jim, a little confused though. I guess I'm not fully understanding the malic/MLB or other acids relationship. I'll do some research to get a better understanding and will probably ask for more help. In the meantime the kit wines stay out.



I'll try to explain it a different way, that maybe will help, maybe will just confuse you more. The rule is never, not ever, put a kit wine through malolatic fermentation, they are balanced with malic acid and if you convert that to lactic acid you end up with a mess. So now you have a barrel that had wine that went through malolactic fermentation, that bacteria can never be totally removed from the barrel. So no kit wines should ever be put into that barrel.

I hope that helps.


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## mainshipfred (Jun 1, 2017)

cmason1957 said:


> I'll try to explain it a different way, that maybe will help, maybe will just confuse you more. The rule is never, not ever, put a kit wine through malolatic fermentation, they are balanced with malic acid and if you convert that to lactic acid you end up with a mess. So now you have a barrel that had wine that went through malolactic fermentation, that bacteria can never be totally removed from the barrel. So no kit wines should ever be put into that barrel.
> 
> I hope that helps.



Kind of a different way of getting the message across. You guys are killing me. Now instead of buying 1 to 2 barrels for the fall harvest I now have to buy 2 to 3 to keep one for kits. Better to know now though rather then making a mistake like my addtiton of acid blend to grape wine. Really appreciate it.


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## ibglowin (Jun 1, 2017)

MLF & Kits






mainshipfred said:


> Thanks Jim, a little confused though. I guess I'm not fully understanding the malic/MLB or other acids relationship. I'll do some research to get a better understanding and will probably ask for more help. In the meantime the kit wines stay out.


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## mainshipfred (Jun 1, 2017)

Thanks all, I realize there is more of a chance for error using juice and or grapes but the more I become familiar with the process the more I want to stick with it. Not to mention it's less expensive for the product.


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## Boatboy24 (Jun 1, 2017)

mainshipfred said:


> Thanks all, I realize there is more of a chance for error using juice and or grapes but the more I become familiar with the process the more I want to stick with it. Not to mention it's less expensive for the product.



With greater risk, comes greater reward.


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## mainshipfred (Jun 1, 2017)

Boatboy24 said:


> With greater risk, comes greater reward.



Absolutely Agree, not to mention it is way more personal.


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