Cellar Craft CC Showcase Yakima Valley Chardonnay

[ibglowin]

Started this guy a few weeks ago. Last of my 3 "Winter Whites" as I call them. Starting SG was the same as the CC Showcase Pinot Gris 1.092 which would put it at about 12.7% ABV when done. Comes with a few ounces of Oak beans for a little more complexity.

It will interesting to see if the CC Showcase Whites develop faster, slower, or the same rate as their Mosti counterparts.

 

[v1rotate]

What happened to the beans, Mike? I don't see them in the carboy.

 

[ibglowin]

They are in there, must all be shy and on the back side out of the shot or something,

I did transfer them over. I usually keep them in until they sink to the bottom.

 

[robie]

Looks good. I would like to do a nice chardonnay kit. I'm not sure if I would add the oak or not. I haven't really decided if I like a chard more with or without.

 

[ibglowin]

I just found out that this kit contains NO oak!

Those are Acacia Beans !

Excited for this guy to settle down and get a carboy sample to see the effect on the palette. They do seem to be very DENSE. Much more so than oak. They are staying on top floating quite a bit longer than oak beans.

 

[fivebk]

Mike, I started this kit on 8/10, It's been aging very nicely on the back porch. At the last racking this wine aready tasted pretty darn good to me ( and I'm not a big chard fan) This wine IMO is gonna be GREAT!!!! I will bottle mine sometime in June.

I used the battonage method for 8 weeks on mine.

BOB

 

[Bartman]

Wait a moment, I'm confused Mike - the Acacia beans seem very dense, yet they are floating longer than oak beans?
If they are denser, shouldn't they seek sooner than oak beans would?

 

[fivebk]

Mine floated on top the whole time I was doing the battonage. Then I racked the wine off them.

BOB

 

[ibglowin]

Nope.

Works just the opposite. Because the wood is more dense, its harder for the wine/alcohol to get in there and extract the goodness out of all of it. Once it does, then the bean becomes heavier and sinks.

Wait a moment, I'm confused Mike - the Acacia beans seem very dense, yet they are floating longer than oak beans?If they are denser, shouldn't they seek sooner than oak beans would?

 

[Wade E]

That is interesting, Ive never heard of any kits having that wood in them. I will be racking my Chard from grapes tomorrow as they have been cold stabilizing in my cellar for about 2 1/2 months now. No oak and cool fermented.

 

[patc]

When i did mine i bulk aged for 5 months and all the Acacia beans sank to the bottom but it took a while

 

[tonyt]

Do any of y'all have early tasting notes yet? Any comments if you like the Acacia. Can you tell yet what flavors the Acacia add?

 

[ibglowin]

No tasting notes yet, maybe in a few weeks. Supposedly Acacia wood adds floral characteristics to white wines, with added structural mouthfeel. There’s no oak flavors; it’s just the fruit with a floral nose and great mouthfeel.

 

[ibglowin]

I just wanted to update this thread. I am down to 3 bottles left of this wine. We opened one last night and paired it with some Shrimp Scampi I made.

This wine is INCREDIBLE. I wish I had another case it is holding up that well at 2 years. Just crisp, clean and wonderful notes of apple, pear, citrus and melon that hang on the palette forever.

This kit came with acacia wood and no oak. Not sure if it still comes with acacia or not but this is one of the best whites I have ever made. I would be happy to pay $20 for a bottle of this wine its just that good. I have a RJS EP Aussie Chardonnay bulk aging now as a replacement. It sure has some BIG shoes to fill.

 

[FABulousWines]

I am a little unclear, are you saying you like it? LOL, tell us how you really feel!

I am considering this kit as one of the next whites I do. My wife is very fond of a good chardonnay and I promised her I would do one soon. Maybe behind a good Moscato.

Glad to hear it came out so well. So many kits, so little time.