In December 2022 my son & I decided to construct a Port-style wine using 2021 wine that had been barrel aged for a year. Overall, the experiment was a success. So, we decided to do it again with a 2023 wine that was barrel aged for 1 year.
In the Fall 2023 we fermented 2 Sangiovese juice buckets with the pomace from 20 lugs of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. Most of it was aged in a 55 liter class barrel and the remainder in 2 carboys. We bottled 7 cases of wine last month, stopping because we ran out of bottles. The remainder, including residue from the barrel, went into a 12 liter carboy.
This morning we bottled 7 regular bottles from this, and transformed the remainder into a Port-style wine.
We added K-meta and 7 oz glycerin to the 12 liters, then bottled the 7 bottles. We started with 5 oz glycerin, but it didn't do much. An additional 2 oz dramatically changed the mouthfeel.
For the remaining 6 liters of wine, we added 0.68 liters EverClear 151, which bumped the ABV to 20%. Then we added 3 more oz glycerin, which reduced the heat and bumped the mouthfeel back to where it had been.
@Ohio Bob suggested I go with 1 oz glycerin per quart, which is what I use for liqueurs such as limoncello. I typically use 1 to 1.5 oz per 1 gallon of wine.
The final tally was 6.5 oz glycerin in 6.68 liters (6 liters wine, 0.68 liters EverClear), so his recommendation was spot on. Note that I'd not add that much glycerin blindly, but taste testing showed that it was the right amount.
The 2021 Port started with 3/4 cup sugar, and prior to bottling we added an additional 1/4 cup. My son & I agreed to start with 3/4 cup -- it seemed right. We stirred well, tasted it, and agreed on an additional 1/4 cup. Taste testing proved that amount correct.
We netted 18 split bottles.
This time we checked SG after every addition. It's interesting to see how the SG changes.
The residual sugar is 3.2%, which is a bit low for a Port, but it's what tasted right.
EDIT: My complete notes for the Port are here: https://wine.bkfazekas.com/2023-port/
In the Fall 2023 we fermented 2 Sangiovese juice buckets with the pomace from 20 lugs of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. Most of it was aged in a 55 liter class barrel and the remainder in 2 carboys. We bottled 7 cases of wine last month, stopping because we ran out of bottles. The remainder, including residue from the barrel, went into a 12 liter carboy.
This morning we bottled 7 regular bottles from this, and transformed the remainder into a Port-style wine.
We added K-meta and 7 oz glycerin to the 12 liters, then bottled the 7 bottles. We started with 5 oz glycerin, but it didn't do much. An additional 2 oz dramatically changed the mouthfeel.
For the remaining 6 liters of wine, we added 0.68 liters EverClear 151, which bumped the ABV to 20%. Then we added 3 more oz glycerin, which reduced the heat and bumped the mouthfeel back to where it had been.
@Ohio Bob suggested I go with 1 oz glycerin per quart, which is what I use for liqueurs such as limoncello. I typically use 1 to 1.5 oz per 1 gallon of wine.
The final tally was 6.5 oz glycerin in 6.68 liters (6 liters wine, 0.68 liters EverClear), so his recommendation was spot on. Note that I'd not add that much glycerin blindly, but taste testing showed that it was the right amount.
The 2021 Port started with 3/4 cup sugar, and prior to bottling we added an additional 1/4 cup. My son & I agreed to start with 3/4 cup -- it seemed right. We stirred well, tasted it, and agreed on an additional 1/4 cup. Taste testing proved that amount correct.
We netted 18 split bottles.
This time we checked SG after every addition. It's interesting to see how the SG changes.
| Stage | Specific Gravity |
|---|---|
| base Sangiovese | 0.995 |
| added 7 oz glycerin to full batch (12 liters) | 1.003 |
| Added 680 ml EverClear to 6 liters wine | 0.996 |
| Added 3 oz glycerin to 6 liters wine | 0.999 |
| Added 1 cup sugar to 6 liters wine | 1.011 |
The residual sugar is 3.2%, which is a bit low for a Port, but it's what tasted right.
EDIT: My complete notes for the Port are here: https://wine.bkfazekas.com/2023-port/
