Mosti Mondiale All Juice Caberlot with Syrah crushed grapes

[CandJ]

As this is my 10th kit, I wanted to get an all juice cabernet/merlot blend and for our wine club competition next year - add two gallon bags of 1st pressing leftover grape/seed from Napa Lodi region that I froze in October.
My thinking is to add a little spice but a good tannin structure to the all juice which is cheaper than comparable grape skin kits.


I typically insert a large mesh bag in the primary first, then add the ingredients and the unfrozen grape skins at the start. I'll not rack at 1.04 and wait until <1.00 to rack. I'll remove the mesh bag which will drain the wine and easily extract the grape skins and leftover Oak, lees, etc, leaving juice only.


Should I wait to add the oak until racking into the carboy? even though oak has a complex reaction during fermenation? or just buy some more oak chips and add it again to the carboy - although it'll be a little fresher for the next 10 days or so of extraction.


Does anyone see any issue here I've missed?


thanks!

 

[JimCook]

C&J,


When I have added grape pomace to a kit, I have not used a mesh bag. However, I had added enough that I planned on using my small press to manage this. If you do not have a press, then a mesh bag will be a likely requirement. The wine that I made from fresh grapes yielded around a gallon of pomace per two gallons of wine produced, so this fermentation would be operating around 50% of normal skin levels which means that you will have to deal with cap formation and punching down. I would question whether or not a bag would allow for themost efficient skin contact with the must. You'll also want to verify that your fermenting vessel is large enough - I would go for at least 10 gallons as those skins are going to rise pretty high when that CO2 is bubbling away. If you've used the bag method successfully with two gallons of skins, then stick with this method.


If you plan on utilizing the oak provided in the kit, you have the option of adding it during the primary fermentation or waiting until the secondary fermentation. As you will be picking up additional tannins from the skins, it may not be worthwhile to add additional oak and I personally would use a taste test to determine that need well after fermentation is complete. When I use the provided oak, I like to have it present during primary fermentation. If I'm oaking in a barrel, I normally oak post-fermentation.


I would agree with not racking until the specific gravity is below 1.000. Without any protective gas methods, you'll be flirting with oxidation risks past that point.


- Jim

 

[CandJ]

Jim, thanks - you may remember that you helped me with a Meglio barolo kit last spring - and I'm going to report to you how it turns out soon - we've only had one small bottle and it's tasting good. needs to intensify I think. I do have a bottle fault that showed up two months after laying them down - some sediment has dropped out and lines the bottom of the bottle. My club meeting this week I'll bring one to check with the team.


On the mesh - I've used the mesh successfully in every kit with grape skins or must. One trick is to put a beer mug in the mesh bag to hold the bottom down -- as the CO2 bubbles tend to cause the bag to float like a cap. I also stir and punch down every day.


I could go with only one of my two gallon ziplock bags that I froze the pressed grape skins/seeds in and save the other. Each gallon ziplock is about 1/2 full, but it is fully pressed and I'm not quite sure how much it might expand. I do have a 10 gallon brute I could use as well to ferment.


thanks for the oak advice - I think i'll go with holding off since you suggest that the oaking in the primary is a trick for adding tannin structure that my 1st pressing should do.


Do you have any thoughts on whether the syrah will add a good flavor or is it just more for tannin and complexity?

 

[JimCook]

C&J,


The 10 gallon fermenter will be perfect for that volume of grape skins and liquid. More skins = more structure, so how much you put in is up to you. I used four full gallon bags of pomace with one kit I made.

I have to say that on the Cabernet kit where I added four gallons of Cabernet pomace, I could definitely note the character of the skins coming through. Depending on how long your skins were in contact with your previous wine, they will have varying amounts of influence left to deliver. They will impart flavor (just like raisins or other skin-type additives), but you can control the amount of flavor added with the amount you use. How does your Syrah taste and how will that mix with the character of the Cab and Merlot? Since all three are robust red wine varietals, they should mix well. Syrah tends to lend dark berry, chocolate, pepper, et cetera - Cab and Merlot both get into the dark berry notes as well. I don't see any reason why the two gallons of skins you're planning on adding would be a problem. If you were mixing them into a Pinot Noir, for example, it would require a more delicate touch.


If your Barolo is coming along and meets your taste expectations, consider it for the WineMaker Magazine competition this year or next. Sediment happens - thankfully, it doesn't affect the taste. Other posters on this site have noted that this kit will do just fine with some time under it's belt.


- Jim