WineXpert Eclipse Lodi Cab - calling all tweakers!

[Johnd]

This is excellent news, John. How long will you age it before putting it in to rotation?

It's hard to say, but it's a year old in one month. I'll load the 30 bottles into the diamonds up top, I've got two 375's as well, maybe give a 375 a try around Christmas, try the second one in the spring. The tannins are still a bit firm, I added 3 tsp, it could take another year or more to calm down. I'll keep you posted.

 

[jgmann67]

End of another month means thiefing another 1 ounce taste. At 5 months old, it's not bad at all. In fact, it's better now than the RJS Aussie was at this age. So expectations remain high.

August will be time for this wine to meet its bottle.

 

[jgmann67]

Bottled today. Will capsule and label it this week sometime. Soo tired from today.

 

[Johnd]

A little vin-dication tonight, wanted to share. Last night we drank a 4 yo Tempranillo that my guy at the wine store recommended, $25 per bottle, just got one. Tonight I popped open a Lodi Cab - 2 yo, made with oak additives, as I had no barrels then. First sip, my lovely wife unwittingly scored a boatload of points, saying "this is way better than that stuff we had last night". I'll admit that it wasn't a great Tempranillo, in fact not as good as the Volver '12 we've been drinking, but the fact remains, a few dollar per bottle kit wine trumped a $25 wine from grapes. I agreed with her assessment, it is better.

 

[jgmann67]

Bottled on Sunday with ceeaton (showing him the AIO in action). Wound up with 24 750's, a1.5L and 8-10 of the 375's. We used some for racking other wines, so I don't exactly recall.

@Johnd - two years. Wow, that's patience. Is this the first taste of this batch? I'm glad you got a winner.

Vin-dication... Sounds like a good winery name.

 

[Johnd]

@Johnd - two years. Wow, that's patience. Is this the first taste of this batch? I'm glad you got a winner.

Vin-dication... Sounds like a good winery name.

Ha! I wish it was a first taste! It's one of my early batches, before I was a member here. Down to 9 bottles, but I have a batch that's recently out of the barrel, bottled and resting at 10 months old.

 

[AZMDTed]

I have 16 bottles left of my Nov 2014 batch. I would have more but my wife is kind hearted and has given several away to friends, grrrr Actually I don't mind, except that I bottled this one per the instruction schedule and most of the bottles have sediment which I'm embarrassed to have others discover when they pour it. It's my favorite kit and I have 5 or 6 batches aging now.

This is the batch where I first got to taste how the wine improves from months 1 to 3 to 6 to 12. That is what convinced me to make a whole bunch of wine to build up an inventory that will allow all my kits to age right. So, 19 kits after this one I have 331 bottles, 1 barrel and 3 carboys aging. Plus an Amarone I started last night in primary. On deck is another Eclipse Shiraz and I'm expecting my WE Chocolate Raspberry Dessert wine kit to show up any day now.

So much easier to let wine age when there is plenty of it, and a wine cellar.

 

[jgmann67]

We're about 9 months since I dropped yeast on this batch. I'm itching to taste it. Waiting for the one year mark.

 

[AZMDTed]

Jim,
It will be great. But I will suggest that you're also missing out on the experience of tasting a good wine through the process and seeing just how it develops. Or at least that's my excuse for cracking a bottle at 6 and 9 months. In December I'll be able to do some blind tasting of three of these kits at 24, 16 and 12 months. I'm looking forward to that.

 

[jgmann67]

Jim,

It will be great. But I will suggest that you're also missing out on the experience of tasting a good wine through the process and seeing just how it develops. Or at least that's my excuse for cracking a bottle at 6 and 9 months. In December I'll be able to do some blind tasting of three of these kits at 24, 16 and 12 months. I'm looking forward to that.

I agree - we have the same idea, just different timelines. We bottled in August after 8-9 months in the carboy. The plan was to let it sit for a few months, and crack open a taster. Then another... And another. I think there are 8 tasters down there. Until it makes us go "wow." Then we'll know it's ready for prime time.

 

[jgmann67]

I racked a Super Tuscan the other day and was a little short of where I wanted to be with headspace. Not a full 375 needed... more like 150ml. So, after eyeballing my stocks I thought, "what the heck." I grabbed one of the Lodi's, topped up and poured the rest into the glass.

It's only a month and a half in the bottle. Really tight and not a lot of flavor. I feel like that's probably common with this one. Going to try to avoid tasting it again till the holidays.

 

[jgmann67]

Well, that didn't work out. We had a taster tonight. Better than the last. But, certainly not done yet. It's only about 9 months old (will check this thread to verify) and still green. At least I know this wine is going to be something very special when it's all grown up.

 

[Johnd]

I've done it twice, the second is still in bulk. First was by the book, it's bottled and coming along nicely. A bit fruity and light on tannins and oak for me. Decent body.

Second one was done with BM 4x4, OG 1.100. Grape pack dumped right into the primary, 2 handfuls of raisins and 3 tsp tannin in secondary. Finished at .993, no sorbate. Had a wine stix in it until I got my barrels, it's now in line for a turn in one of the barrels. Last notes on a carboy sample on 1/18/16 was fruity, light on oak, still a little tart and green, tannins were firm. I'd do 2 tsp tannin if I could do it over, but I believe time will integrate it well.

That's all I got for now, but I like this one.

A little dredging up from the past, but wanted to update my Lodi Cab comments. It's been just over a year since this post, the wine has been bottled and cellared with no tasting since bottling. After some barrel time and a little time in glass, the fruit had laid back a little more, and the barrel had fixed the light oak issue, tannins were a little more tolerable, but still too powerful. Not enjoyable to drink.

Cracked one tonight, and was greeted by a light but discernable nose of red fruit, with a hint of oak as well. Not a big chewy wine, but nice mouthfeel, silky blueberry and blackberry on the palate with a medium finish. The tannins have mellowed a lot in a year, but are still firm, although not gripping like before. I'm no longer unhappy about the 3 tsp of tannin. Nice warming of the throats as it goes down. Pretty darn good for a kit, a lot better than many commercial cabs I've had. The other 29 bottles should improve over the next several years.

 

[Tnuscan]

A little dredging up from the past, but wanted to update my Lodi Cab comments. It's been just over a year since this post, the wine has been bottled and cellared with no tasting since bottling. After some barrel time and a little time in glass, the fruit had laid back a little more, and the barrel had fixed the light oak issue, tannins were a little more tolerable, but still too powerful. Not enjoyable to drink.

Cracked one tonight, and was greeted by a light but discernable nose of red fruit, with a hint of oak as well. Not a big chewy wine, but nice mouthfeel, silky blueberry and blackberry on the palate with a medium finish. The tannins have mellowed a lot in a year, but are still firm, although not gripping like before. I'm no longer unhappy about the 3 tsp of tannin. Nice warming of the throats as it goes down. Pretty darn good for a kit, a lot better than many commercial cabs I've had. The other 29 bottles should improve over the next several years.

Well... now you've gone and done it. Guess I'll be first in line for one of those bottles. You can't mention Lodi around me, and make it sound that good.

I do wonder if it might be wise to add some tannin 1 tsp to 1 tbls at primary, and tweek with like "riche extra" during bulk aging. ???

 

[jgmann67]

A little dredging up from the past, but wanted to update my Lodi Cab comments. It's been just over a year since this post, the wine has been bottled and cellared with no tasting since bottling. After some barrel time and a little time in glass, the fruit had laid back a little more, and the barrel had fixed the light oak issue, tannins were a little more tolerable, but still too powerful. Not enjoyable to drink.

Cracked one tonight, and was greeted by a light but discernable nose of red fruit, with a hint of oak as well. Not a big chewy wine, but nice mouthfeel, silky blueberry and blackberry on the palate with a medium finish. The tannins have mellowed a lot in a year, but are still firm, although not gripping like before. I'm no longer unhappy about the 3 tsp of tannin. Nice warming of the throats as it goes down. Pretty darn good for a kit, a lot better than many commercial cabs I've had. The other 29 bottles should improve over the next several years.

I'm out of tasters for my Lodi Cab. There are about 18-20 bottles of 750ml and a 1.5 sitting on the rack. This wine is about 18 months old. I feel like this is just starting to come around. Maybe another 6 months before it starts to shine. But, the last taste really didn't knock my socks off.

 

[pillswoj]

My lodi Cab is just coming up to 1 year, its fine I guess but I don't think it will ever become great. Stags Leap Merlot remains my favourite from the Eclipse line.

 

[jgmann67]

My lodi Cab is just coming up to 1 year, its fine I guess but I don't think it will ever become great. Stags Leap Merlot remains my favourite from the Eclipse line.

My second batch of the SLM is coming up on a year old. It's not there yet. The first batch I did was my wife's favorite. I liked it a lot. But, may prefer the LE Fourtitude overall.

 

[Sean]

This has been a fascinating thread.

Ive run two of the eclipse kits thus far. The Malbec turned out ok but I found it to be a little flat. I just finished the merlot about 1.5mths ago.

Ive got a bit of an experiment going on between the malbec and the merlot. Ive mixed 3x5L demijohns with various proportions of malbec to merlot.

Just waiting for the wine to age a few months before trying it.

I want to give the Cabernet Sauvignon a try as well.

I really like the idea of putting some extra tannin in as I found the Malbec to be light on the tannins.

 

[Mismost]

Opened a 375 tester of my Lodi Cab....way to early, only 3 months in the bottle, we split it into 4 glasses. All 4 of us went ummmmm...nice nose, good legs, good...seemed a bit light on the tannins...high hopes for this one.

 

[jgmann67]

I had the remains of a bottle that my wife took with her on her girls' week at the beach. It had a few days in an opened bottle on the counter before I got to it. It confirmed my belief that in another 6 months, this will be ready to go. Guess we're having a Cab with Christmas dinner. =)