Carignan Must !

[jburtner]

Hi, Xmas 2019 Van Ruiten Carignan - Lodi, CA.

Four buckets of frozen must from winegrapesdirect.com.

Published specs:
pH: 3.76
TA: .57
Brix: 22.4

Let these sit for a couple days to thaw and warm up to 60*F.

Measured specs:
pH: 3.89
TA: .69
Brix: 22.4

I added 4lbs of sugar to bump the brix to 24.

I added 20g Opti-red, 28g FT Rouge, and 1.5g Lallezyme EX-V for the cold soak. I’ll let all this integrate and remeasure before pitching yeast.

Notes from winegrapesdirect.com
Ancient Vine Carignan grape must
These ancient vines have remained in production since being planted in 1906 (15 years before prohibition!). There are only a handful of older plantings in the entire US. The property was acquired by the Van Ruiten Family in the 1980’s with an agreement that the vines not be ripped out to make way for the expanding housing developments. The Van Ruitens are third generation Lodi grape growers and one of the top wine destinations in Lodi.

Carignan is most prominent in the warm climates of Southern France and Northern Spain, where it also goes by the names Carinena and Mazuelo. Carignan usually displays medium tannin, medium alcohol and medium acidity making it a very a well balanced wine.


Cheers!
Johann

 

[jburtner]

 

[Chuck E]

When we were in Mendocino a couple years ago, we visited a winery that had made a similar arrangement about the Carignan vines on a monastery property. The wines made from those 100+ year old grapes was spectacular.

 

[jburtner]

I’m excited about this Carignan!

I’ve started rehydrating the RP15 yeast and added some of the must in as well. I’ll be fermenting this Carignan in a cooler room this time of year. I’ve been fermenting some whites and rosés in there which have taken 4+ weeks to complete AF.

I also just ordered a couple juice buckets each of Australian Cabernet and Petite Verdot for second and 3rd fermentations once the Carignan is pressed.

More to follow!

Cheers,
Johann

 

[jburtner]

 

[jburtner]

Last night I added a second cup of must to the RP15 starter and it’s going very well this morning. My ferment cellar (aka: the dungeon) is about 58*F this morning and the temps are dropping later this next week so I might move the fermenter if it gets too cold.

The starter is ready to pitch so I checked the maceration and there was a slight cap formed with the sharp smell of CO2. Hmmm. I think the natural yeasties from the vineyard may be starting up. I’m going to stage my starter in the fridge and monitor the must for spontaneous fermentation this weekend. I’ll pitch the starter later depending on how that develops. I’m expecting it to be slow going due to the lower temps but not in any big hurry. I’d like to maximize the natural vineyard yeasties if possible and feel reasonably safe with moving the RP15 starter into the fridge to slow it down for now.

Cheers!
Johann

 

[stickman]

If the must temp is in the 50's then the cold tolerant vineyard yeast will have the advantage, fermenting like this for a while is ok and can add interesting things, but just keep checking with your nose, if you detect any ethyl acetate (nail polish) get the cultured yeast in there asap, and move the temp up into a reasonable range for RP15.

 

[jburtner]

Thanks! I’m punching down the cap a couple times a day and this is fermenting nice and slow. Ambient temp was up to maybe 60F the last day or so and dropping back down now. Brix is dropping. Cap formation isn’t as robust as other must ferments I have done with commercial yeast.

I fed it with 10g Fermaid K today.

Starting brix was about 25 and is now down to about 23. I’ll take samples and prepare for some SG measurements soon for more accurate tracking of AF but a drop on the refractometer does show that it’s dropping.

Smells great!

Cheers,
Johann

 

[jburtner]

Happy New Year!

Ambient temp this am is about 50*F and cap temp is similar. Brix dropped further into the upper 22’s so confident that it’s an active ferment. Certainly nit as active as it would be in higher temps and with commercial yeast.

I have three other wines fermenting in four carboys in this “cold dungeon” which have been inoculated with commercial yeasts. A chocolate raspberry desert wine kit, a chardonnay juice bucket, and two Sangiovese juice buckets. The Chardonnay has been in active non stalled AF for 38 days. Nice and slow. That one is almost done. The Sangiovese has a pretty good foam going.

Ten gallons each of Australian CS and PV juice buckets from Presque Isle ready to dump on the Carignan skins once further along after pressing - whenever that point in time presents itself.

Cheers!
Johann

 

[jburtner]

The natural yeast was moving along pretty slow so I pitched the RP15 starter after it had sat in the fridge for several days and was still nicely active. The Carignan must temp ranges from about 50-55*f and is fermenting better now too. Cap formation is more solid. I got about an additional 10 day cold soak with a reduction of a couple brix or so. I'm happy with that. No objectionable smells. I've got some travel towards week three of this so will probably plan to lightly press, rack, and ferment the next juice bucket on the skins into FEB which will probably be the PV depending on where the SG ends up over the next week or two.

Cheers!
-johann

 

[jburtner]

Almost three weeks to complete AF on the Carignan. Pressed and moved to glass. I’ll rack in a couple days off the gross lees. I didn’t mlf this one. Too cold in the cellar. I degassed a small glass and this will be a nice lightish red. The skins were rather mucky - I expect from the ExV and extended AF.

Put the skins back into the fermenter and added 10 gallons of Australian Petit Verdot juice from PI Wine for the next ferment.

Once these and the Aussie cab sav are done with AF it’ll be about 15 carboys total this season.

Cheers!
-johann

 

[jburtner]

The Carignan is racked off gross lees. 12 gallons and 3.5 bottles for top up.

2nd use of skins with Aussie PV needs to be pressed tonight (down to almost 1.000). I’ll be using the skins a 3rd time with 10 gallons Aussie Cab Sav.

I moved two carboys of Sangiovese out of the cold room (had stalled @ 1.020 due to dropping temps around here) back into the cellar and wrapped with a heating pad and some reflectix to start it back up.

The 5 gallon chardonnay is dry and on the lees with a mixture of light and medium toast cubes. Stirring often.

Other wines from this season bulk aging - two carboys Calistoga Cab sav from frozen must, two Merlot juice buckets fermented on the Calistoga skins, White Merlot kit, and Viognier kit.

Feeling good about this years wines so far.

Cheers!
-johann

 

[Boatboy24]

You could have fit at least two more drops of wine in that test cylinder.

Edit: on second thought, I don't think you could have.

 

[jburtner]

Bottled single varietals of what I had left of Petit Verdot, Carignan, and Cab Sav - About 18 months bulk aging and settling. All three came out very nice and 75 bottles total. I had done a blend using some of these that I called Coronavirus 420 (bottled right around 4/20 last year)... Glad I did the blend and saved some for single varietals.

I particularly enjoy the Carignan - it has a velvety richness and lingering opal depth that just goes down like liquid silk.

Some oak on all three but much less than I have used in others. I'll have to check my notes on how much but very subtle.

Interesting note - I added maybe 1/2tsp KMETA early on in that 18 month period and kept these topped up and under vacuum - no oxidation. When I bottled I did add 1/4 heaping tsp KMETA for each carboy to keep it protected in the bottle. Minimal sulfites in any case.

Cheers!
-johann

 

[heatherd]

Bottled single varietals of what I had left of Petit Verdot, Carignan, and Cab Sav - About 18 months bulk aging and settling. All three came out very nice and 75 bottles total. I had done a blend using some of these that I called Coronavirus 420 (bottled right around 4/20 last year)... Glad I did the blend and saved some for single varietals.

I particularly enjoy the Carignan - it has a velvety richness and lingering opal depth that just goes down like liquid silk.

Some oak on all three but much less than I have used in others. I'll have to check my notes on how much but very subtle.

Interesting note - I added maybe 1/2tsp KMETA early on in that 18 month period and kept these topped up and under vacuum - no oxidation. When I bottled I did add 1/4 heaping tsp KMETA for each carboy to keep it protected in the bottle. Minimal sulfites in any case.

Cheers!
-johann

I did the same Australian Cab from Presque Isle and paired with some frozen must from Musto. I liked that the juice was not pasteurized and is shipped at room temperature. Pretty cool product line. I also did their Australian Chenin Blanc and liked it.

 

[jburtner]

I did both a aussie Cab Sav and PV and didn't care much for the CS but love the PV. This CS that I ended up bottling is a frozen Calistoga must from winegrapesdirect.com. I'll buy their grapes again and thinking about doing one or two small'ish batches later this year..

Cheers!
-johann