# Local Cabernet Franc grapes



## ceeaton (Oct 5, 2016)

Figured I'd start a thread since there aren't many on Cab Franc, especially ones from Spring Grove, PA. My record keeping also isn't the best so this is a nice place to put measurements so I don't lose them. Picked up my grapes this afternoon. Picked this morning/crushed and destemmed. Paid about $140 for 105 lbs, not bad. He did let me drive his cart to help him pick up some lugs of Concord that were in the field, very ripe, lots o' bees. It was fun and I didn't even knock a whole row out (they are pretty closely space, very little room for error). The owner (Jeff) sulfited and enzymed them right after crush (50 ppm - he has a vinmetrica to test SO2). I added more Lallzyme EX when I got them home. Very clean, a few greenies that are rather tart, but I'll take the measurements any day. He picked them earlier than he wanted to because the deer were feasting now that the local corn is mostly harvested in his local area.

pH 3.47, 22 brix (1.091 @ 72*F), TA 6.0 g/L; plan on pitching either GRE or D21 yeast tomorrow morning. Still on the fence post as to how much if any simple syrup I will add, will probably do that in the a.m.

And for all you M*A*S*H lovers, this wine will be the first I'll name, and I'll name it Franc Burns.


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## ceeaton (Oct 6, 2016)

Decided to add 30 oz of sugar made into a simple syrup in 2 cups of water with 1.5 g of tartaric acid to help maintain the TA (did last night). SG up to 1.097 (corrected for temp). Rehydrated GRE yeast in 10 g Go Ferm, pitched when within 5*F of grapes in the bucket. Will add Opti-red after work today if there are any signs of activity, which I expect there might be as the GRE I used a few weeks ago doesn't fool around and gets going pretty quick.

On the fence post as to whether I'm adding any FT Rouge, might just add some French oak chips for sacrificial tannins.


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## ceeaton (Oct 6, 2016)

We have lift off, sizzling like a steak on medium low (small sizzle) but hey, it's only been 11 hours since I pitched the yeast. Punched the foam and yeast on top down into the bucket to distribute it better (had poured the Go Ferm/yeast mixture on top this morning). Plan on an Opti Red and 1/2 Fermaid O addition before bed time. Didn't measure the SG since I'm lazy and have to go pick one daughter up from cheerleading practice, the other from her field hockey game. Will do so later and add it to this post.


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## ibglowin (Oct 6, 2016)

I would add some Tannin FT Rouge for sure. It can help tie up pyrazines which is what causes the vegetal (bell pepper) stink.


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## ceeaton (Oct 6, 2016)

ibglowin said:


> I would add some Tannin FT Rouge for sure. It can help tie up pyrazines which is what causes the vegetal (bell pepper) stink.



I wouldn't be overdoing it by adding a dose of the FT Rouge and 2 oz of French med chips would I?

Edit: well, if it's too much I can just age it longer. Usually additions this early don't amount to too much, oak character wise. They just do good things you'd miss if they weren't there, but you can't quite put your finger on what they are. Added 56 grams of French medium chips and 8 grams of FT Rouge (and now I'm out of that).


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## ibglowin (Oct 6, 2016)

Oak chips won't do anything for pyrazines. I had to add bentonite to my Cab Franc as well as Tannin FT Rouge to suck it up.


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## ceeaton (Oct 6, 2016)

ibglowin said:


> Oak chips won't do anything for pyrazines. I had to add bentonite to my Cab Franc as well as Tannin FT Rouge to suck it up.



Was this the infamous batch you had to blend to use? And I should be able to still add the bentonite at this point since fermentation is just starting, right? I know, full of questions, but I'd hate to mess up 8 gallons of red wine. Especially really good smelling red wine at this point.

Second question. Did you notice the issue before the wine went dry, ie. could you taste it from day one?


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## ibglowin (Oct 6, 2016)

Yea this was stuff from 2011 which was the coolest on record even for Kalifornia. I added the bentonite post fermentation as I didn't know what the hell to do with 6 gallons of Bell Pepper wine........

It helped but I still blended it away.....


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## ceeaton (Oct 6, 2016)

ibglowin said:


> ... I didn't know what the hell to do with 6 gallons of Bell Pepper wine........



Serve it with fajitas?


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## ceeaton (Oct 7, 2016)

Really nice thick cap formed this morning. Punched it down and used the opportunity to remove a few green stems and under ripe grapes. Found a few whole clusters, that looked nice, so hand destemmed them. Kids have off today (extended Columbus day?) so my wife and I were up around the same time. She commented on the fermentation smell (in a positive way), I have to admit I smelled a little oak and fresh grapes and that was it. Must be getting used to this wine making thing already.


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## ceeaton (Oct 7, 2016)

Came home to a nice thick cap (image doesn't do it justice). Looked like an engine block with the cylinders cut out as I punched it down, very resilient. Still has a nice smell, no funky odors, but then I didn't have any with my White Zin bucket that I used the GRE yeast on. Will have to check the SG tonight to estimate TTP (time to press). Used AMH yeast on the Zin batch a few weeks ago and that was as slow as molasses running uphill in January. I know this one will move along much quicker. Hoping for Monday since I'll get home early from work and be able to enjoy the process and not hurry it along.


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## ceeaton (Oct 8, 2016)

Woke up this morning to no off smells, slight smell of alcohol and a thick, thick, cap. SG checked in around 1.060, had forgotten to add Opti-red, so did that, and added other 1/2 (6g) of Fermaid O since I'm at about 1/3 sugar depletion. Might not be ready to press on Monday, though stranger things have happened. Maybe that Fermaid O will kick up the rate a bit, will check SG again on Sunday afternoon.


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## ceeaton (Oct 9, 2016)

Got home today and checked the SG this afternoon, it was 1.022. So definitely not pressing today, probably not pressing tomorrow, but Tuesday is a scheduling nightmare, with my wife attending her evening class, and yours truly in charge of carting my daughters home from practices. Might have to get up early and press Tuesday morning, not optimal, can't drink wine before going to work and expect to keep my job, but I can celebrate later in the day before I hit the sack.

The cap and all associated fermentation smells seem normal on this batch. Pretty good chance it will get done without any issues.


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## NorCal (Oct 9, 2016)

Sounds like it is going nicely. I love CF, did it in '13, ,14, doing a small lot this year and plan on doing 60 gallons next year. Are you going to blend it with anything; cab, merlot, petit verdot?


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## ceeaton (Oct 9, 2016)

NorCal said:


> Sounds like it is going nicely. I love CF, did it in '13, ,14, doing a small lot this year and plan on doing 60 gallons next year. Are you going to blend it with anything; cab, merlot, petit verdot?



This is my first try on Cab Franc grapes. I've done local Chardonel, Dornfelder and now this Cab Franc batch. I'm trying to make any varietal of grape that I can grow. So at this point, unless I take a gallon or so and mix it with an old Merlot/Cab Sauv/Malbec blend I made (to make a nice Bordeaux blend), I'll probably leave it be and see if I fancy the grape more than I do the Dornfelder. Next year I think I'm aiming to make a batch of Noriet or Marquette from the vineyard owner I've been purchasing from locally.

Eventually I hope to pick one or two reds and whites and plant them in the back yard so I can learn what it takes to grow my own grapes and make wine from them. Someday if my time doesn't run out on this Earth, I'd love to plant a small vineyard to occupy my retired years, but I've got a few more working years until that can happen (not that growing grapes isn't hard work). So the current project is improving physically so I can endure and hopefully thrive until I retire.


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## ceeaton (Oct 10, 2016)

SG of 1.012 this morning, so it looks like I will be able to press this evening and enjoy the beautiful weather we are currently having.


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## ceeaton (Oct 10, 2016)

SG was down to 1.006 or so this afternoon. Kids didn't have school so this was my best chance to press and not have to rush the process. Free run and pressed juice both had nice flavor, not too much bitterness or over the top tannins. At this point I think I have close to 9 gallons, but still need to rack off of the gross lees in a few days, once fermentation finishes up. I think the rain the week before they were picked had a larger impact than expected with the "juiciness" of the grapes. 

Have 6 gallons worth in my 7.9 gallon fermenter with an airlock. Need to transfer the 3 or so gallons to a carboy tomorrow morning, sitting in an old juice bucket with an airlock, though lot's of head space in that one. Figure one day will be okay since it is still actively fermenting.


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## ceeaton (Oct 11, 2016)

Racked into carboys so that I could get less airspace, still actively fermenting (SG 1.001) so will let stay as is until it goes dry. Then I'll rack off of gross lees and pitch the MLB.

Main issue this morning was trying to seal up the food saver pouches of Zin and Cab Franc used skins. They are taking up too much space in the freezer now that I have about 25 quarts of frozen tomato sauce, so I'm planning to toss them into a WE SE Int'l Malbec kit w/skins. Will just have more skins, way more skins. I'll keep a small frozen pouch of each, but the rest is destined for that kit when I make it tonight.


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## ceeaton (Oct 20, 2016)

Racked off of gross lees and pitched CH16 yesterday. Hoping it gets through MLF as fast as my Lanza Zin did. Took a sample to throw on the sheet with the Cab Franc sample and it clearly looks like it is almost done in a few short weeks.


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## jgmann67 (Oct 20, 2016)

ceeaton said:


> Racked off of gross lees and pitched CH16 yesterday. Hoping it gets through MLF as fast as my Lanza Zin did. Took a sample to throw on the sheet with the Cab Franc sample and it clearly looks like it is almost done in a few short weeks.



Wait, is your Lanza Zin done with MLF already??


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## ceeaton (Oct 20, 2016)

jgmann67 said:


> Wait, is your Lanza Zin done with MLF already??



Yup, fastest one I've ever had get done (showing done, probably not quite there yet, test only measures I think to below 30 or 40 ppm). I'd rather that than 10+ weeks for my PN this past Summer.


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## ceeaton (Nov 24, 2016)

Racking and adding Kmeta to this Cab Franc batch. In the process I withdrew a small sample to try as I'm deciding how much more oak to add depending on what the body will allow. First thing I noticed right off the batch was the lack of dark color. I've attached a few images to show this the best I can. Now the body (and alcohol, ~14% ABV) is much heavier than the appearance, so I may just blend a few liters of Dornfelder to darken it up a bit. Not noticing a bunch of "green bean/pepper/herb" flavors in the wine, so I'm happy with that. Maybe the ferment was too quick and/or GRE might not preserve as much color as another yeast would have, so lesson learned for next attempt.

Whew! Better wait for some food before I drink any more, I'm feeling the effects of 1/2 glass of this wine.


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## Johny99 (Nov 24, 2016)

Nothing wrong with a light bodied CF in my book, all about balance. Mine this year is also lighter than last. Due to travel I was unable to do much of a cold soak and no extended maceration, so it was off the skins in 8 days. I may blend in a bit of PS or Petit Verdot before bottling, but I'm going to let it age alone for a while first.


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## ceeaton (Nov 24, 2016)

Johny99 said:


> Nothing wrong with a light bodied CF in my book, all about balance. Mine this year is also lighter than last. Due to travel I was unable to do much of a cold soak and no extended maceration, so it was off the skins in 8 days. I may blend in a bit of PS or Petit Verdot before bottling, but I'm going to let it age alone for a while first.



Okay, first time working with this grape. So if it is more like a Pinot Noir that depends on balance (in my book) I should not over oak. I have a pack of spirals, usually it is one (8 inches worth) for 3 gallons, so I'll put 6 inches of the spiral in my 3 gallon carboy and the 10 remain inches in the 5 gallon carboy, then test liberally starting in a few weeks. If it is lacking after a few months I can always add some more.

In the young wine (with carbonation) I taste fruity, alcohol, and some dried fruit. The nose already reminds me of my Chilean Meritage blend (Merlot/Cab Sauv/Malbec) and the Dornfelder. Nice dry/almost austere in nature with some oak in the background. Didn't get that in the other wines until much older. Here's to draining what's in your glass with the promise there is more to fill it!

Thanks for your insights.


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## sdelli (Nov 25, 2016)

You definitely make some quick wine! 4 day fermentation and a two week mlf...... Wow
Ya... It will be a light wine.


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## ceeaton (Nov 25, 2016)

sdelli said:


> You definitely make some quick wine! 4 day fermentation and a two week mlf...... Wow
> Ya... It will be a light wine.



Next time I'll use AMH yeast, that one took two weeks on my Zin. Didn't try to rush this batch but I press when it hits 1.000 normally, unless time constraints alter the schedule.

Maybe I should consider a pre-ferment cold soak next time, just have to find a way to get the temps down, maybe some dry ice?

At least it is a light wine with some nice flavor, just can't overdo the oak.


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## sdelli (Nov 25, 2016)

I do a two day soak then the ferment takes between 10 and 12 days.... That takes it to a two week process... I have friends that do it in three weeks. This year I did a Malbec in 6 days.... Usually due to heat and nutrients that dictate the time.... But a good red wine needs some time on the skins....


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## NorCal (Dec 3, 2016)

Don't forget about Cab Franc Day tomorrow! http://napavalleywineacademy.com/25224-2/


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## ceeaton (Dec 3, 2016)

NorCal said:


> Don't forget about Cab Franc Day tomorrow! http://napavalleywineacademy.com/25224-2/



Sounds like a great excuse to tip the carboy and check on the early oak levels!


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## ceeaton (Jun 24, 2017)

Bottled up a 375ml of this one to take to @jgmann67 's tomorrow. We did a 50/50 blend of a Petite Sirah/Zinfandel. Wondering what a 50/50 of a Petite Sirah/Cab Fanc would be like. Drinking a glass right now from the carboy (used the thief, didn't tip), very light but has an incredibly edible nose, and the flavor is much more expressive than the color would lead you to believe. I really like this wine and the level I oaked it, has nice flavor even though the body is a tad light. A keeper in my book. I'm sure I'll enjoy it for years to come.


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## Boatboy24 (Jun 24, 2017)

From the pic, my first thought was 'very light'. Good to know its proving to go beyond that color. I'll be interested to hear your thoughts on the Zin/PS tomorrow and also those on the 100% PS, if you happen to try it. So far, I'm really happy with my 2016 Lanza PS.

PS (post script, not petite sirah): It's almost blending time.


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## jgmann67 (Jun 25, 2017)

Boatboy24 said:


> From the pic, my first thought was 'very light'. Good to know its proving to go beyond that color. I'll be interested to hear your thoughts on the Zin/PS tomorrow and also those on the 100% PS, if you happen to try it. So far, I'm really happy with my 2016 Lanza PS.
> 
> PS (post script, not petite sirah): It's almost blending time.




Gonna be a good day, 'Tater...

I wondered about how long to wait before blending. So you're saying about 9-12 months?

I racked my Lanza PS a couple weeks ago and it starting to mellow very nicely. The tannins are still huge, of course. How long should this age before bottling? Being ready to drink?


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## Boatboy24 (Jun 25, 2017)

jgmann67 said:


> Gonna be a good day, 'Tater...
> 
> I wondered about how long to wait before blending. So you're saying about 9-12 months?
> 
> I racked my Lanza PS a couple weeks ago and it starting to mellow very nicely. The tannins are still huge, of course. How long should this age before bottling? Being ready to drink?



When to blend? I'm forced to in July/Aug so I can bottle in September to make room for the next vintage. Otherwise, I'd probably blend at 1 year, then let it sit 1-3 months before bottling. (though I may be cutting back production a bit and that would help)

How long to age the PS? That's up to you and a matter of taste. I can tell you that the first one I made barely lasted 3 years, and at the end, it was getting really good.


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## ceeaton (Jun 27, 2017)

Boatboy24 said:


> From the pic, my first thought was 'very light'. Good to know its proving to go beyond that color.



I changed my mind on that one, it's very light, especially after tasting the PS/Zin blend. Took half a glass until I could taste anything. Though Jim's wife seemed to like it since it was lighter than the PS/Zin. Still has some gas in it too since it's only been through one winter in the basement.


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