WineXpert Eclipse Forza

[ceeaton]

Bill here... No, haven't opened it as yet. Did pick it up yesterday and thought that it'd really be nice to wait until Thanksgiving or Christmas when the family was together. I have a niece that appreciates bold dry reds and thought it would really be nice to share a glass of the Forza with Jody.

Then don't let us sway you (wine peer pressure at it's finest). Keep it for Jody, I just hope she thinks it is good! Just make sure you report back to us on this thread of Forza junkies...

 

[jgmann67]

All this Forza talk, I had to open one to have with the London Broil tonight. First sips do not disappoint.

 

[Ajmassa]

All this Forza talk, I had to open one to have with the London Broil tonight. First sips do not disappoint.

Haha. Well done. (Well done to you that is... not the London broil).

-- I'm still waiting for the opportunity to use Craig's London broil family recipe he shared a few months ago.

 

[jgmann67]

The wine opened up beautifully over dinner and afterwards as we chatted at the table. Smooth and rich with stone fruit. Nice complexity, especially for a kit. If I didn't know it was a kit, I'd swear it came from the eye-level shelf in the Italian red section of the state store. Seriously, this is what I hoped for when I decided to stop buying, and start making, my own wine.

 

[globalnavigator]

The wine opened up beautifully over dinner and afterwards as we chatted at the table. Smooth and rich with stone fruit. Nice complexity, especially for a kit. If I didn't know it was a kit, I'd swear it came from the eye-level shelf in the Italian red section of the state store. Seriously, this is what I hoped for when I decided to stop buying, and start making, my own wine.

I bottled my Forza on 11/28/15. Opened a bottle yesterday also! Your description pretty much matches my notes. My wife gave it a big thumbs-up as well.

jgmann67 - Did you have any "wine diamonds" in yours like I did?

Is their any significance to them?

 

[jgmann67]

I bottled my Forza on 11/28/15. Opened a bottle yesterday also! Your description pretty much matches my notes. My wife gave it a big thumbs-up as well.

jgmann67 - Did you have any "wine diamonds" in yours like I did?

Is their any significance to them?

I didn't. The only significance, I think, is that the tartrates precipitated out of the wine before I bottled and yours after. This is one of the reasons I like bottling in springtime after the wine gets a chance to age in a cooler basement over the winter (the cream of tartar usually falls out).

 

[jgmann67]

The Forza was the winner at the Big and Bold Red Wine competition in NJ. Won a gold and best in show. Thanks to @JohnT and the crew for setting it up.

 

[ceeaton]

The Forza was the winner at the Big and Bold Red Wine competition in NJ. Won a gold and best in show. Thanks to @JohnT and the crew for setting it up.

I knew I should of sent one...

So don't you get to open one since it did so well at @JohnT's competition?

 

[jgmann67]

I knew I should of sent one...

So don't you get to open one since it did so well at @JohnT's competition?

I have about a case left. I think we'll have the next bottle on Christmas Eve.

 

[jgmann67]

I knew I should of sent one...

So don't you get to open one since it did so well at @JohnT's competition?

We opened two to have with Christmas Eve dinner - homemade manicotti, meatballs and sausage. Perfect.

 

[ceeaton]

We opened two to have with Christmas Eve dinner - homemade manicotti, meatballs and sausage. Perfect.

Hmmm, you give me a good idea. Chicken parm for dinner tomorrow, might match up well!

 

[globalnavigator]

Forza is back, and it's not limited edition this time! Looks like it's shipping at the end of January for those interested.

 

[jgmann67]

Forza is back, and it's not limited edition this time! Looks like it's shipping at the end of January for those interested.

Well this just brightened my day. I wonder if it’s the same. The limited edition had an ABV of 16%. The advertising on this one says 14%.

 

[Bplewniak]

I just put in my order. Is anyone going to do extended maturation on this kit? I’ve done my last 3 red kits this way but they are all still in carboys.

 

[jgmann67]

I just put in my order. Is anyone going to do extended maturation on this kit? I’ve done my last 3 red kits this way but they are all still in carboys.

Please post when you get this kit and report your impressions. I’m leaning towards doing this one again.

 

[tradowsk]

I literally spent 2 hours reading this entire thread last night haha for those that made Forza in 2015, what are your current impressions?

I like really full-bodied, bold reds and have been looking for a good red kit. Does this one fit the bill?

 

[jgmann67]

I literally spent 2 hours reading this entire thread last night haha for those that made Forza in 2015, what are your current impressions?

I like really full-bodied, bold reds and have been looking for a good red kit. Does this one fit the bill?

Flat out, the Forza is the best kit I've made to date - complex, great body and flavor (and at 16% ABV, it is aptly named 'Comfortably Numb'). Now, there are only a handful of bottles left in the rack. So, I'm only breaking it out on special occasions . I wonder what this one would have been like doing an EM.

 

[Bplewniak]

Flat out, the Forza is the best kit I've made to date - complex, great body and flavor (and at 16% ABV, it is aptly named 'Comfortably Numb'). Now, there are only a handful of bottles left in the rack. So, I'm only breaking it out on special occasions . I wonder what this one would have been like doing an EM.

After a 8 week EM, I’ll be moving this out of the primary this weekend. I can’t till this time next year on this one.

 

[ceeaton]

I guess I could open up one. I've got 14 left in the "sanctuary". Just don't want to do it on a school night or I might miss class the next day. A very good red kit that seems to be getting better with age. I hope to get a few to five years old, I think it will make it just fine (still a bit tannic at 3 yrs old, used nomacorcs).

 

[tradowsk]

@ceeaton did you add any wine tannin at any point or is the juice just that tannic naturally?