RJ Spagnols Cru Select New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc

[Longtrain]

Just ordered this kit, love Sauvignon Blanc, how were your results, any tweets you can recommend?

Thanks,

Tony

 

[chitownwine]

Been bottled about a month now. In carboy had great fruity taste which dissipated in a bottle tried few days ago. Hoping just needs more time in bottle. Didn't do any tweaks, I can't rememeber the yeast that it came with But you can consider switching up to lavlin 1116.

 

[phat]

Been bottled about a month now. In carboy had great fruity taste which dissipated in a bottle tried few days ago. Hoping just needs more time in bottle. Didn't do any tweaks, I can't rememeber the yeast that it came with But you can consider switching up to lavlin 1116.

Mine came with Lalvin ec-1118 - It's just into the secondary. Once it finishes it will
get battonaged for about 6 weeks before I stabilize and let it sit.

Can't really say how it will turn out, other than the nice grapefruity smell of the
juice so far leaves me hoping for good things.

 

[Longtrain]

I've done battonage on Chardonnay which worked out ok, I assume same for Sauvignon Blanc, stir every 3-4 days for 4-6 weeks?

In other Sauvignon Blanc posts some added or recommended adding grapefruit juice or zest, does anyone have any further info on this?

Thanks...

 

[SouthernChemist]

I've done battonage on Chardonnay which worked out ok, I assume same for Sauvignon Blanc, stir every 3-4 days for 4-6 weeks?

In other Sauvignon Blanc posts some added or recommended adding grapefruit juice or zest, does anyone have any further info on this?

Thanks...

I've never done battonage myself, but 4-6 weeks may be too short to truly get the complexity you may be looking for. I have seen examples where people continued the process for up to 6 months (with the amount you stir it decreasing as times goes on). It also depends on the yeast strain you used, as some will autolyze faster than others. Can always take it further than you did with the Chardonnay with sampling to see how it is developing.

 

[phat]

I've never done battonage myself, but 4-6 weeks may be too short to truly get the complexity you may be looking for. I have seen examples where people continued the process for up to 6 months (with the amount you stir it decreasing as times goes on). It also depends on the yeast strain you used, as some will autolyze faster than others. Can always take it further than you did with the Chardonnay with sampling to see how it is developing.

I did this last year - see My Last year's post on Wine Experts Selection International Australian Chardonnay

I tried it after seeing it talked about here - essentially it is put 1/4 tsp of kmeta in after fermentation has stopped in the secondary, top up well, and then *gently* stir up the lees every 3-4 days. I did this for about 6 weeks last time with the chardonnay kit and the result was very very good - enough so I'm doing it again
this year.

once you're done your "lees aging" time you rack it off and finish and stabilize the kit normally just as if you had finished the secondary ferment.

I did a little bit of reading and background on whites that I do like, including Sauvignon Blanc's and some of the commercial wineries say they do this process on the ones tht I like to drink - So, given how I like the result on the chard, and I'm trying it on this kit as well.

I'm not going to add grapefruit or anything like that - The juice had a nice grapefruity smell in the primary and I'm hoping it manages to carry over and linger a bit in the finished wine.

I found that about 6 weeks or so of this process definitely made a change in the
finished product. YMMV.

 

[Longtrain]

I have this kit and a pail of Chilean Sauvignon Blanc due in late April or May, so I'll have a fair amount to play with for the next few months. I love the flavors of NZ Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, if I can get close to that result it wold be great. We'll see, thanks for the info.