2018 Lodi Cabernet Sauvignon

[Johnd]

John, can you taste much of a difference between the free run and the press?

At the time of collection, absolutely. After a few weeks of sitting, going through MLF, and racking off of the gross lees, yes, but not profoundly so. I’ve got two 2017 cabs right now in two 6 gallon vadai barrels, one free, one press, a year old, can’t tell em apart by taste.

 

[Donz]

Are you CK in disguise? Lol

LOL!!!!!!

 

[Johnd]

Been quite surprised to see absolutely no activity in the airlock, but not concerned, just assuming that fermentation completed before pressing. Decided to do some random hydrometer testing last night, every carboy checked was at .994 / .995, suspicion confirmed.

Since we vacuum racked into the carboys, a lot of CO2 was pulled out, the sediment has really dropped out quite quickly, will rack off in a couple days, feed the MLB, and button everything up for a few more weeks.

 

[Johnd]

Racked off of the gross lees this evening, started with 81 gallons and finished up with 78. Not too bad, didn’t get every single ounce of wine, but not much sediment either. Good to get that done, on easy street now just letting MLF complete.

 

[CDrew]

When does it go into the barrel?

It sounds like your losses were minimal. 4% roughly. That's got to be better than usual.

Most important, how did it taste?

Congrats.

 

[Johnd]

When does it go into the barrel?

It sounds like your losses were minimal. 4% roughly. That's got to be better than usual.

Most important, how did it taste?

Congrats.

Once it gets through MLF, and then about a month in the wine room, it’ll go into the barrel. Normally get them in there between Thanksgiving and Christmas, this year should be the same.

Loss for lees wasn’t bad at all, my setup utilizes some pretty fine screening, so really just the suspended sediment gets through. I’d hardly call them gross lees, but there is some grape matter present as well. No complaints.

I did have enough to taste, it wasn’t bad at all. Nice fruity nose and taste, alcohol nicely present, color is really good. It’s still got all of those funky new wine tastes as expected, nice mouthfeel, and plenty tannins present. By the time it comes out of the barrel, I’ll be expecting a nice fruity Cab with good body, and still in need of a little bottle aging before it’s ready for prime time.

 

[Johnd]

Pressed the 2018 Cab 9 days ago, racked off of the gross lees 5 days ago, really haven’t been seeing much indication of MLF activity in the carboys. Started to get a sneaky suspicion, which was confirmed today, by a sampling of 9 of the 14 carboys, it’s pretty much done. The three on the right are BM 4x4, and still look to have a hint of malic left as compared to the D254 samples. Probably a result of 4x4’s less optimum environment, but certainly no cause for pause. I’ll probably let them sit another month and head into the wine room / barrel in early December, my traditional barrel loading timing.

 

[Donz]

How come you wait so long before putting it in the barrel? I rack off the gross lees and then straight into my barrels.

 

[Boatboy24]

How come you wait so long before putting it in the barrel? I rack off the gross lees and then straight into my barrels.

I won't answer for John, but can relay my own logic. I know that most commercial operations do as you do, and go straight in. I prefer to have MLF complete and the wine stabilized with sulfite, as well as relatively clear to keep sediment out of the barrel. Commercial guys probably use barrels for a year or two, then move on. My oldest barrel has been in service going on 6 years now, so anything I can do to limit the pores/grain 'clogging' up is welcome.

 

[Donz]

MLF is complete and so2 added when I barrel as well.

Guess you have a point though allowing less sediment in the barrel if you let it sit longer before barreling.

 

[Johnd]

How come you wait so long before putting it in the barrel? I rack off the gross lees and then straight into my barrels.

Several reasons:

1. My barrels live in my wine room at 55F, bad environment for MLB, in carboys they're in the house at 74F
2. Like to let the wine drop some more sediment before going into the barrel.
3. I always wait two weeks after the chromotography test shows clear to ensure that the MLB has eaten every last bit of malic that it can.
4. It's always close to opening day of deer season and then Thanksgiving when MLF is complete, and I'm not messing around with wine barreling until December

 

[sdelli]

Pretty good winemaking day today, wine is down to 1.040 or so, BM 4x4 slightly ahead of the D254, but not appreciably. The caps have been tremendous, a foot thick and reforming in a few minutes after punchdown. Temps in the 4 large vessels was at 87 F today, 85 F on the smaller, would have liked to get a tad higher spike, but everything looks and smells wonderfully. Hit the vessels with their last dose of nutrients, might coax a little more heat out before sugar starts getting scarce, should be racing up to 1.000 pretty quickly.

@Scott Harbison and I have scheduled our pressing for Friday morning, just hoping we have some decent caps to work with pumping the free run out.

60 gallon Alain Fouquet barrel showed up today, I’m dying to unwrap and check it out, but it’s better served in its packaging for a few more weeks. It’s big, (25 gallon fermenter next to it) but will fit through the door into the wine room, and I’ll make a stand with casters before it goes in and gets loaded.

View attachment 51816

Old post so it ended up working out for you. But gutsy move taking the yeast to 87 degrees with lids on. No oxygen and the yeast is rated at 82.

 

[sdelli]

Fermaid O, in my opinion, is not the proper tool for the job, Fermaid K is what I’ve succeeded with.

Both the same.... One organic and the other not.

 

[Johnd]

Old post so it ended up working out for you. But gutsy move taking the yeast to 87 degrees with lids on. No oxygen and the yeast is rated at 82.

87 was pretty comfy this year, I’ve been into the low 90’s for nearly a day in the past, just gotta pay attention to what’s going on and be ready to act. I’ve always read about pushing temps and have been doing so, figured that if we rehydrate yeast at 109, some 90’s shouldn’t be a deal breaker with a good nutrient protocol. So far, no issues.

 

[Johnd]

Both the same.... One organic and the other not.

Technically speaking, they are except that in O, the DAP has been replaced with an organic nitrogen source. That, however is a difference, and why K is more appropriate in some situations, particularly when a “ready to roll” nitrogen source is needed. It’s also why O is more appropriate late in an AF when nitrogen sources like DAP aren’t the right call. My opinion is that because of these differences, they aren’t the same........

 

[sdelli]

I am sure the yeast will live through it... My worry is h2s with high temps and no oxygen.

 

[Johnd]

Just have to be on top of the conditions, as long as the yeast has what it needs, no stress, no H2S.

 

[stickman]

John I like that one, "no stress, no H2S".

 

[ibglowin]

Put that on the package. No stress, no H2S!

 

[Johnd]

Finally got the time to build the mobile barrel stand, unpackage the barrel, and get it situated. Looks like it’s going to work out well. It’s very attractive, really big, and ready to gobble up some carboys. Maybe I’ll get to it this week / weekend.