2018 Grape Season Underway

[mainshipfred]

Those grapes look very nice. Very jealous Fred! I'm sold after this year on the higher level boutique grapes from known regions and vineyards. The Lanza stuff looks great, the Paso Robles Zin I got this year is already a better wine at 6 weeks than the premium Zin Regina Grapes the previous two years. I almost went for the Zinderella grapes this year.

I have this event on my radar. Going to try and go.

Musto Wine Grape is the other affiliate I believe in Connecticut

Similar to the Stellenbasch Cabs we've gotten. I'm with you on the known regions and vineyards but that does come with a price. Would be nice to go with another winemaker I know plus it would be nice if BJ and Lori could hang out and drink wine while we talked shop with the others. I think BJ would be bored otherwise.

 

[pgentile]

Similar to the Stellenbasch Cabs we've gotten. I'm with you on the known regions and vineyards but that does come with a price. Would be nice to go with another winemaker I know plus it would be nice if BJ and Lori could hang out and drink wine while we talked shop with the others. I think BJ would be bored otherwise.

Well then let's try and make it happen.

 

[mainshipfred]

Well then let's try and make it happen.

As of now I'm going. If anything changes I'll let you know but I have to try to make up for my un Hungary trip. Will start looking for hotels nearby.

 

[mainshipfred]

Just crushed and tested the PV. 25 brix but the ph is 3.24. A little surprised at that.

 

[Johnd]

Just crushed and tested the PV. 25 brix but the ph is 3.24. A little surprised at that.

Fred, try lightly blending up a couple cups of must, strain the juice off, and test that, see if you get different numbers.

 

[mainshipfred]

Fred, try lightly blending up a couple cups of must, strain the juice off, and test that, see if you get different numbers.

Thanks, I'll try it in tomorrow. The brix is probably going to change as well.

 

[Boatboy24]

Grapes look awesome, Fred. But that's what we've come to know from Lanza. Agree w/ John on rechecking the numbers tomorrow.

Just back from 4 days of debauchery in Dallas, but did do a visual check on the HHH Wa Merlot and the other 2018's. Merlot is still bubbling (expected), as is the Cab, which had yeast pitched on 10/1.

 

[ibglowin]

Yawn.

Pics or......... LOL

Just back from 4 days of debauchery in Dallas.....

 

[porkchopmessiah]

Morning punchdown complete. I had planned to press today, but after 8 days of fermenting, I'm only at 1.054. (using RP15)

Ferment has been going great. Good caps that quickly form and no signs of H2S or any other off odors. It smells great. Color extraction is outstanding. This is a beautiful Merlot. I tasted a sample, just to be sure my hydrometer isn't off and there is certainly plenty of sugar left. I'm thinking of pitching some EC-1118 to shove this thing across the finish line, as I'm not able to press next week due to work.

I'm working on it but it might depend on the quantities of an individual varietal. A trip to Jersey or Philly wouldn't bother me especially if we had a chance to meet up with Paul and AJ.

I was at Corrados in north jersey, they said they be getting grapes in the spring from south America....

 

[mainshipfred]

Fred, try lightly blending up a couple cups of must, strain the juice off, and test that, see if you get different numbers.

Did what you recommended. Ph now reads 3.37, better I guess. From what I've been reading PV is a high acid wine.

 

[Johnd]

Did what you recommended. Ph now reads 3.37, better I guess. From what I've been reading PV is a high acid wine.

I understand the same. PV by itself, in Bordeaux, rarely if ever got ripe and always had that vegetal undertone and underripe tannins, hence always used in small percentages. Grown in the warmer areas (like where you got yours from), those characteristics are overcome by ripening, and I'm betting that you'll have a nice wine. By the time you finish AF / MLF, you should get your pH up near 3.5, not a bad spot to be in!!!!!

 

[mainshipfred]

I understand the same. PV by itself, in Bordeaux, rarely if ever got ripe and always had that vegetal undertone and underripe tannins, hence always used in small percentages. Grown in the warmer areas (like where you got yours from), those characteristics are overcome by ripening, and I'm betting that you'll have a nice wine. By the time you finish AF / MLF, you should get your pH up near 3.5, not a bad spot to be in!!!!!

Not a bad spot at all, it was my thoughts exactly. Thanks again for the blender tip.

 

[Johnd]

Not a bad spot at all, it was my thoughts exactly. Thanks again for the blender tip.

Your welcome, but I can't take credit, got it from Vinmetrica.......................It's the same reason we see our BRIX change as well the next day after crushing, takes time for all of the goodies to be released, the blender just releases everything quicker.

 

[sdelli]

Did what you recommended. Ph now reads 3.37, better I guess. From what I've been reading PV is a high acid wine.

I make PV every year for many years. Started for blending but it has come to be one of the better tasting wines on it’s own in my cellar. Gota say though... Always comes in at very high ph levels. Rarely get a batch that doesn’t need an adjustment down. It will still probably come out of fermentation at around 3.5 for you which is a nice number. Mine came in two weeks ago at 4.0.. I adjusted down to 3.55. I pressed it yesterday and now at 3.69.

 

[pgentile]

Gino Pinto's still had some grapes and juice buckets as of this past friday. LHBS still has about 20 buckets. I almost pulled the trigger on some more this weekend, but I would need more carboys and more basement space so I held off.

It's tough though, maybe just one more bucket or two? 3-4 more lugs?

Racked all grape Nebbiolo(supposedly old vine sangio) at 8 weeks yesterday. It is delicious already can't wait to taste this again at 1 year.

This years Zin and PS are even better. Very very happy with the wines from this fall.

 

[mainshipfred]

Gino Pinto's still had some grapes and juice buckets as of this past friday. LHBS still has about 20 buckets. I almost pulled the trigger on some more this weekend, but I would need more carboys and more basement space so I held off.

It's tough though, maybe just one more bucket or two? 3-4 more lugs?

Racked all grape Nebbiolo(supposedly old vine sangio) at 8 weeks yesterday. It is delicious already can't wait to taste this again at 1 year.

This years Zin and PS are even better. Very very happy with the wines from this fall.

Carboys are easy, now the basement space is a whole nother issue.

 

[porkchopmessiah]

I just bought a skeeball machine, wife would prefer car boys at this point

 

[jgmann67]

Need some quick ideas. Racked the OVZ and this is what the 3 gal carboy looks like. I’d rather not rack this into gallon jugs (with a 1.5 or so to spare).

 

[pgentile]

Buy a bottle of OVZ and top it off. Other choices are headspace eliminator from AIO or marbles to take up the space.

I usually use something similar in this situation. Like if I had a some extra cab sauv or other bigger red I would top off with that. I used a commercial bottle of sauv blanc to top off my juice bucket sauv blanc just shy of 10 gallons the other day.

 

[jgmann67]

Of the choices, topping with a commercial OVZ is probably the one I’m going with.