Barolo No like

[Geronimo]

I'd say the same thing about most of those $50 commercial bottles of Barolo. I've never had the $600-$1000 examples, but I'm guessing they are the reason people rave about this wine.

I just got the Meg Barolo kit (thanks to Wade's review of the wine). The kit is over $200, but still... when you do the math, complete with bottle and closure it's under $8 a bottle. Throwing down $8 at the local best wine shop will get you a decent Sauvignon Blanc and little else.

 

[Wade E]

The bottle I had of that Meg was not played with at all and directions were followed to a T. It was aged approx 2 years. I didnt make this kit, a friend of mine did who used to admin finevinewines forum before I took it over and his name was Scott but Masta was his username. It was also before they had the grapeskins in them so this may possibly be even better now!

 

[Elmer]

Gave my Barolo another try.
And upon reconsideration
It is not too bad. I am happier with it this week than last!
I can taste that potential flavors hiding underneath. There was a fruit and peppery flavor, but it is largely subdude.
I am hoping an oak barrel and time will bring all the goodness out!

 

[ez2cy]

Ok......read somewhere that wine ages ?faster, ?better in the bottle. ????

wine is now around 9 months in carboy. Should I leave for the year? Bottle now?

Also, I read about something I can put in the wine to make sure it keeps longer....a tsp of ???? Some chemical?

And stupid question. I know about tannins in red wine,,,,,,but not really..LOL. What would adding tannins do exactly.

Thanks in advance and for past replies.

 

[Geronimo]

Ok......read somewhere that wine ages ?faster, ?better in the bottle. ????

I read that somewhere, too. The problem is, with that logic, a tank load of wine wouldn't age at all! I bulk age for clarity and to drop wine diamonds, then bottle.

 

[ez2cy]

Wine diamonds?

 

[Geronimo]

Excess tartaric acid precipitates as potassium bitartrate crystals, sometimes referred to as "wine diamonds". If you cold stabilize, they'll drop out nicely for you. That way you won't have to deal with them if/when they form in the bottle. They come out looking like little flakes or a gritty/sandy gunk. They are harmless, but you don't want anyone to get them in the bottom of their glass.

In the "old school", wine diamonds were considered a very positive attribute, as it was said only the finest wines would drop them.

 

[ez2cy]

So it's not something I add to the wine to make it better.

 

[Pumpkinman]

Make sure that you stabilize the wine with meta, depending on the wine, oak, and tannins if needed.

 

[ez2cy]

Make sure that you stabilize the wine with meta, depending on the wine, oak, and tannins if needed.

This something other than what comes in kits?

 

[tonyt]

JUst racked my WE Selection Barolo last night.
Took a sip,
I understand that it is only less than a month old, but it was flat and lacking in flavor.
Not at all what I expected.
If this is a full bodied wine, than it has a long way to come into itself.

Hoping some time in a oak barrel can add to its character.

Elmer, I feel your pain. I started the 2012 WE LE Nebbiolo (Barolo) with skins several six months ago. I racked into my one year old barrel last weekend for a three month stent. I gave it a taste, NOT IMPRESSED! Thin, flat and uninteresting. No oak taste, no tannin, poor viscosity. This one will get lots of attention over the next three months. I have added 2 ounces of medium French oak cubes to the one year old Hungarian barrel. I'll give that a month and taste again. At that time if needed I will add some Tancor Grand Cru tannin. I will add a couple or three ounces of glycerin just prior to bottling if it's still too thin. Tim V's promo says this opens up at six months and will improve to 18 months and hold to five. We'll see. I expected a lot more from this LE kit w/skins. Be assured though that it will be delicious before it goes into bottles.

 

[Geronimo]

Wow the Barolo kits I've started (3 now) are all very high in tannin and good body. All 3 are MM kits, one is a Meg.

I do have one issue with the Megioli kit; the 23L juice and grape pack barely fit in a 7.9 gallon fermenter. Unless you have a 10 gallon fermenter, I'd pass on the grape pack and go with the raisins.

 

[Elmer]

Elmer, I feel your pain. I started the 2012 WE LE Nebbiolo (Barolo) with skins several six months ago. I racked into my one year old barrel last weekend for a three month stent. I gave it a taste, NOT IMPRESSED! Thin, flat and uninteresting. No oak taste, no tannin, poor viscosity. This one will get lots of attention over the next three months. I have added 2 ounces of medium French oak cubes to the one year old Hungarian barrel. I'll give that a month and taste again. At that time if needed I will add some Tancor Grand Cru tannin. I will add a couple or three ounces of glycerin just prior to bottling if it's still too thin. Tim V's promo says this opens up at six months and will improve to 18 months and hold to five. We'll see. I expected a lot more from this LE kit w/skins. Be assured though that it will be delicious before it goes into bottles.

it is drinkable now, just not what I would expect from the "king of wines", but time is my friend!

My kit was a 16 L, with no Skins. So I used a left over merlot skins that I had used in my super tuscan.
Since this was my only non skin kit I have sitting around, I made a point of running through my barrel 1st. I figured getting a ton of oakiness to it and letting sit in a bottle for a year will hopefully do something.
Otherwise I am due to go buy some hungarian oak cubes for a Pinot I have aging and I will add that as well. ( if the barrel does not work)

 

[ckvchestnut]

Sorry to bud in here and I'm not an expert on kits but those wines are big bold reds that are typically high in tannins and really do require a few years on oak. I'm definitely going to try it at some point but I'd like to wait to have a barrel. I'm sure it's normal that these ones do not taste like what you'd expect right off the bat because it's the oaking that brings out the characteristic flavours and aromas.


Carolyn

 

[ez2cy]

Holy crap Batman!

I thought my wines were far better than most around here (which they are) just because I let them age, whereas most drink as soon as done.

But........I am a real amatuer compared to you folks.

Now the questions.

Age in oak barrels? Far better than the Oak dust or chips you get in the kits I would assume.

Do most of you add things to wine kits while making? I'm leaning towards making all my wines from the Cellar Craft (think I have it right) the higher end ones here in Canada. Come with grape pack. Or....is there another kit you folks would recommend in Canada?

I have sitting in glass carboys......All have been filtered and dates are from when they were done and filtered.

Cellar Craft Showcase Pinot Noir with Saskatoon Berries 5 lbs. 12/13 (made before and it's great).....
Barolo 5/13 (can't remember the kit but not an expensive one)
CC Showcase Malbec 10/13.....
CC Showcase Amarone 9/13.....
CC Showcase Zinfindel 10/13.....
Bergamis 1/14......
Choc/Rasp Port 1/14.

Now...anything I should be doing to any of the above wines? All I did with any of them is the kit directions and filtered , except the Pinot Noir with the added fresh berries.

Thanks in advance.

 

[ckvchestnut]

Some people say that there is no difference in using oak in carboys vs an oak barrel, however, I personally haven't used the barrels yet. The one difference that I do see, is that you'd have to keep replacing the oak additions every 6-8 weeks because they do quit after that time.

That's cool that you have wine with saskatoon berries... Can you explain your experience with this? I planted saskatoon berries for the purpose of making wine, but it will be a few years yet before I have fruit. I'd be pushing it to expect berries this summer. What flavours do they impart on the wine? Have you tried making exclusively saskatoon berry wine? Most kits are designed to be folllowed to the T. The place I get my kits and juices from only gets their stuff direct from their winery supplier (no big box name brands except for the rjs company for ports and orchard breezin kits). Other stores have those kits but I'm happy getting juices and kits from my local place. They manage to get juices from Italy as well as their main supplier in CA (US)

 

[ez2cy]

Can not remember the flavours but remember it was good and everyone liked it. It was actually a recipe in a wine book. Take the red wine kit and add the berries is all. Not sure if you are familar with Saskatoons other than planting them. I am a westerner where Saskatoon's are king. I lived in Ptbo for 27 years and we had berry farm there and grew Saskatoon's. Not so knowing about the berries in Ontario. Toon's have a nutty almondy flavour, that is why I used a Pinot Noir

 

[Geronimo]

Some people say that there is no difference in using oak in carboys vs an oak barrel, however, I personally haven't used the barrels yet. The one difference that I do see, is that you'd have to keep replacing the oak additions every 6-8 weeks because they do quit after that time.

Well, I know there is at least ONE big difference... aging in glass with oak chips, staves or cubes will result in virtually no evaporation and no oxygen incursion. Barrels, on the other hand, have plenty of both.

 

[ez2cy]

So the wines above...should I be putting some oak in the carboys while they sit? Even with having oak in the fermantation part?

 

[ckvchestnut]

I don't agree with that... You would still have that level of slow oxidation in glass. If I were to age for 2-3 years it would maybe be in barrels.


Carolyn