RJ Spagnols Brunello oak packages

[tonyt]

I've been bottling right out of the barrel lately, Tony.

I usually do bottle from the barrel unless I add Glycerin. I have been scared to add glycerine to the barrel, don't know why I just have. And yes I will add K-meta every three months and at bottling. Don't have a test kit though.

 

[tonyt]

That sounds like a whole lot of oak Tony!

I figured someone would say that, and rightfully so. After clarifying I'll taste and decide if I want to add the American spiral or not. I really want to add a hint of coconut though. I taste all my wines every couple of weeks, barrel and carboys. I can always pull it out of the barrel a few weeks early if I need to. When this Brunello goes into the barrel it will be the 5th batch in the barrel and the barrel will be about a year old. But since there was no grape pack or raisins your point is very well taken and I will be extra cautious. The oak could go a long way in a kit that may not have tons of body. Hummmmm . . . I may have just talked myself out of the spiral. Thanks for the word of caution, Mike.

 

[ibglowin]

One reason I mention it is my experience this past week with a batch of Red Mountain Cab. It spent one month in my 2nd Vadai and I pulled it. It had been sitting for ~3 mo and tasted quite nice but the oak had fallen back and I wanted just a hint more. I added (1) one oz Med+ French Oak beans and left them in for 7 days. Holy cow! Pulled them out so fast if you blinked you missed me. In just that short period of time it went from flat to in your face oak that will now need another few months more bulk aging in order to settle down. I was trying to do a little bit of "layering" of the oak since it already had a nice soft Hungarian oak feel. I think it will be excellent still but it did set me back a bit from bottling.

 

[v1rotate]

The spirals I have recommend 2 per 6G batch, Tony. I'm thinking that 1 spiral won't overpower the Brunello at all. At 1 year old, your barrel is probably not imparting much oak now. I know my 15 month old 40L barrel isn't.

I bet you a bottle of wine that you will end up adding another American spiral to the barrel toward the end to get the flavor you are looking for.

 

[tonyt]

The spirals I have recommend 2 per 6G batch, Tony. I'm thinking that 1 spiral won't overpower the Brunello at all. At 1 year old, your barrel is probably not imparting much oak now. I know my 15 month old 40L barrel isn't.

I bet you a bottle of wine that you will end up adding another American spiral to the barrel toward the end to get the flavor you are looking for.

Okay, I'm printing this comment and adding it in my notes for the Brunello. We will settle up in March. Mike, you want the other side of this?

 

[ibglowin]

Your just trying to cover all the bases now .....

 

[tonyt]

Your just trying to cover all the bases now .....

Either way I get to taste someone else's wine.

 

[Bartman]

Having made both the Brunello and Red MT. Cab several times each, the Red MT. Cab has a good bit more body than the Brunello, especially or because of the Cab's 2L grape pack. I doubt the Brunello will benefit even slightly from the amount of work you are planning on putting into it, Tony. It's your wine and you can do what you want, of course, but I think you will be disappointed that your efforts probably won't have as dramatic an effect on the Brunello kit as they would on a wine made from grapes or with a substantial Sangiovese grape pack.

I just don't think it has the body or 'frame' needed for the extra oak to be appreciable. I like an oaky wine, too, but I can't recognize the layering Mike is working toward, or the subtle differences in the toast levels of oak, so maybe that's just my tasting deficiency.

 

[joeswine]

COCONUT VERY INTERESTING

 

[tonyt]

I hear you, Bart. And here's the real rub. Body, the website says Body is 5 out of 5. Oak is 4 out of 5. Yet no grape pack or raisins. George very highly recommended this kit, although he only has two Brunello kits to choose from. And yours is not the first post I have read commenting on the disappointing results of the Brunello. Another issue and perhaps the biggest hurtle is that Kathy and I absolutely love commercial Brunello and have collected them for many years.

I think what sets Brunello apart from Chianti (sangiovese groso and sangiovese, respectively) is that sangiovese groso requires much more aging and improves substantionally while not quite so with sangiovese. And I doubt this juice is groso but is really just oaked up chianti.

With all that said, if I have to I'll throw the kitchen sink at it. Top up with something as thick and rich as possible and hope for the best.

 

[ibglowin]

You know the drill by now Tony, top it off with a similar wine, never water, throw it in the barrel for a good spin and if that doesn't do the trick , hit it at the end with a nice dose of Tancor Grand Cru. Of course if the juice is crap to start out with there is not much you can do to correct that but you can easily correct for thinness my good friend!

 

[tonyt]

COCONUT VERY INTERESTING

Light toast American oak is said to impart coconut. And I love it in red wine. That's why I wanted to find some untoasted American dust.