Cellar Craft CC Showcase Yakima Valley Viognier not clearing

[ibglowin]

UPDATE:

Super Kleer to the rescue!

Added 7 days ago today and very happy to report that in just the last 3 days or so the Viognier has totally cleared. Can see though it finally all the way to the wall behind it.

Summer evenings sipping a glass of wine on the patio and watching the famous New Mexico sunsets are officially back on!

 

[Joanie]

I'm so glad yours cleared finally! How do YOU spell relief? =)

 

[robie]

Mike,

Glad to hear the wine is finally clearing. Was beginning to wonder what was up.

I am wanting to make a voignier kit real soon. Was there a specific reason why you choose the Cellar Craft (Yakima) over the RJS Ren kit (Chilean)?

I read where the voignier vines don't peak until at least 15-20 years. I wonder if either of those areas has vines that old. Seems California started planting them over 15 years ago, but neither kit seems to be from California grapes.

Has anyone out there made the RJS viognier kit and if so, how was it?

Would like to have a good comparison between the two kits.

 

[robie]

Sorry for spelling viognier as voignier... I did it twice in the same posting.

 

[ibglowin]

I am all over anything from Washington State and have been for the last few years. (to my wife, no pun intended!)

Yakima Valley is the new Napa Valley.

Has been booming since the early 1980's so yes they have some mature vines these days.

Has the same latitude as the great wine producing regions of France.

They have been putting out some amazing stuff for the last 5 years (at least) now.

Wine Spectator 2009 Wine of the Year: 2005 Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (you guessed it, Yakima Valley)

Last but not least, the wife is from Seattle!

Viognier is difficult to grow because of its low and unpredictable yields, and difficulty with rot. The dry climate in Yakima Valley seems to favor its growth.

 

[ibglowin]

SUPER KLEER!

How do YOU spell relief? =)

 

[robie]

Now, a lesson for us newbies -

Do you think that it wqs the fact that it was the third clearing agent you used or do you think it was the Super Kleer, specifically? Another way of putting it - do you think that if you had used Super Kleer the first go-around, it would have cleared just fine the first time?

 

[ibglowin]

Cellar Craft kits contain a "debranded" package of Super Kleer.

It was the addition of the 2nd pack that did the trick. One just wasn't enough to tie up and bind all the protein that was suspended in solution.

 

[ibglowin]

Proof meet pudding!

 

[robie]

Wow! What a difference from your previous photos.
Let's drink it!!!

 

[ibglowin]

Its already tasting pretty good but I can wait till this Summer.

I think!

 

[robie]

Wait?

Joo kan dew et, joo kan dew et!

 

[ibglowin]

This thing just keeps looking better and better!

Never thought I would see it this clear.

 

[robie]

Wow! That looks yummy, Mike.
I have already decided to make the pineapple/banana viognier as a cool summertime drink. Now that you have had success clearing and because it looks so-o-o-o good, I do want to make a straight viognier.

 

[Mharris335]

That look just like mine. How did that happen? lolMine is a few months older then yours and I can't wait either. Now that my white wines have been getting to the two year mark, I can say they get better with some age on them. They don't last that long in my house, but the 16 lit kits are better at the two years of age. Do you find the same thing?

 

[ibglowin]

I doubt mine will last that long!

I hope to see how they change over time. No data yet tho.

 

[JimCook]

Mharris,


I can concur that the whites definitely improve with some age. While they seem to hit a more drinkable state earlier than the reds, I still notice they get really nice with that thing that can't be rushed - time.


- Jim

 

[robie]

Hi Mike,



I have some friends who just started making their own wine. They
started with a WineXpert white kit - </span>German Müller-Thurgau.

Anyway, I know you had problems getting your CC Viognier to clear, so I thought you might have some advice for my friends.

They did everything per instructions about 8 days ago and added the clearing agent. Now, only the top third of the carboy is clear, the bottom two thirds is very cloudy. It has been this way for several days now.

They bought some SuperKlear, but haven't used it yet. They don't know if they should rack again before using it or what.

Any advice for them?

 

[ibglowin]

I think it needs a little more time.

I would give it at least another 7 -10 days and see if it continues to clear. If not then hit it with a pack of superkleer. My Viognier is crystal clear now and I will bottle this in the next few days.

I will be checking free sulfite levels and report back with my first real taste test at 3 months.

 

[robie]

Thanks Mike,

I don't know how long their instructions say to wait. I may have thrown them off some when I had a white that completely cleared within 8 hours, not days, after adding the clarifiers. This is their first kit.