WineXpert Fourtitude with Grape Skins

[jgmann67]

Tonight is kick-off.

 

[ceeaton]

Tonight is kick-off.

About time!

 

[jgmann67]

About time!

I needed the carboy space before I started it, unfortunately. Otherwise, it would be in finishing already.

There's no oak powder for the primary (still surprised by that). So, I dropped the bentonite, juice, water and grape pack. Attached a brew belt and let it sit overnight. The juice smelled very mild last night. But, gave me an awesome nose full when I peaked at it a few minutes ago.

The OG went from 1.080 to a solid 1.100 overnight. I only added the RC212, too. If it sputters, I'll drop the EC1118. But, I doubt that's going to happen here.

Plan to bottle this next spring.

 

[jgmann67]

Three days later and the RC212 is giving me a very active, fizzy fermentation. Our SG is about 1.074 and the wine smells just fine.

 

[jgmann67]

On 4/26/16 Measured and stirred in the morning - the wine is about 79*; the SG dropped 0.025 (to 1.050) in 24 hours.

As of 4/27/16 @ 0700 hrs, the SG is approximately 1.026 @ 79*. The color is ruby red and there's a fresh red fruit taste (strawberry and red raspberry) to it. I'm surprised how light it is, though. I'm not in love with it yet... more "in like" so far.

 

[jgmann67]

I racked this morning with an SG of 0.994 @78*.

Since I know I'm going to lose some volume at the next racking, I decided to spend a little time to salvage some wine from the bottom of the bucket. Using coffee filters and a funnel, I recovered about 500 ml of wine into a 750 ml bottle. Vacu-vinned it and dropped it in the fridge. Think it'll be okay for 10 days?

 

[Johnd]

I racked this morning with an SG of 0.994 @78*.

Since I know I'm going to lose some volume at the next racking, I decided to spend a little time to salvage some wine from the bottom of the bucket. Using coffee filters and a funnel, I recovered about 500 ml of wine into a 750 ml bottle. Vacu-vinned it and dropped it in the fridge. Think it'll be okay for 10 days?

If AF is over, that's what I would do with it, maybe with a little KMS pinch to ward off oxidation. I'm only assuming that going from bucket to glass, and not KMSing, you think it maybe has a little fermentation life left in it, if so, keep it air locked and warm, let it finish as your carboy completes.

 

[jgmann67]

I tasted some tonight after testing SG (at 0.990, btw). It's a bit less fruity, a bit more full bodied. I'm a lot less concerned about this one being less than anticipated. I know, I know... Patience.

6/5 - decided that I should rack this and begin clearing today. Schedule is going to suck the next week or so.

I chatted with Matt at LP. I think that, aside from the included oak in the kit, I may do just a bit of tannin riche extra in the finish. Otherwise, we'll go by the numbers.

 

[jgmann67]

I'm in my basement marveling at my work today - racked 4 wines (including an accidental racking of the SE Malbec) and tasting the Shotfire Quartage. This is the wine that the good people at WE fashioned the Fourtitude after.

It's got a bit of an graphite and earth nose, like a dirty lead pencil... but is very pleasant after all this work (granted, I had a half glass of the Amarone and the Forza, so I'm at little floaty right now). The color is a deep ruby. The taste is plum and cherry with some nondescript red berry in the background and a hint of tobacco (though that might be a lingering taste from the Forza).

If the Fourtitude is like this. Well, I'm not going to be disappointed in the least.

 

[AZMDTed]

I'm on day 65 of mine. Just did a racking after letting it sit for 28 days. Three things of note: almost no sediment in the bottom; it was still extremely gassy even though I whipped it for 15 minutes before stabilizing and have now vacuum racked it 4 times; still waiting for it to develop some body and flavor. This one will get some time in the Vadai and hopefully that will help.

 

[jgmann67]

So, we're out of clearing and into bulk aging with 30g of American Oak and 2g of tannin riche extra. I'm trying to push a bit more vanilla forward to play with the red berry.

 

[jgmann67]

Two weeks later and I couldn't resist getting a little taste. The oak and tannin are doing very good things to the wine. It's charming - medium body, color identical to its commercial counterpart, red stone fruit nose and palate with some vanilla peaking through. Less earth and graphite (and by that I mean virtually none) compared to the Quartage.

I may add some more tannin at the next racking.... Maybe.

 

[dcbrown73]

I got the notice for the Eclipse Super Tuscan. I was thinking about ordering the other two they released. This Fortitude and the Mosaic Red.

I really didn't want to buy three of them, so I ended up getting the Super Tuscan and the Mosaic Red. Given I'm a huge fan of big Zinfandels, I figured I might like it better. Then of course, I don't have anything like an Tuscan wine, I wanted one of those also.

Anyone else order the Super Tuscan or the Mosaic Red?

 

[Brian55]

I got the notice for the Eclipse Super Tuscan. I was thinking about ordering the other two they released. This Fortitude and the Mosaic Red.

I really didn't want to buy three of them, so I ended up getting the Super Tuscan and the Mosaic Red. Given I'm a huge fan of big Zinfandels, I figured I might like it better. Then of course, I don't have anything like an Tuscan wine, I wanted one of those also.

Anyone else order the Super Tuscan or the Mosaic Red?

Yep, ordered all three. Fortitude, Mosaic and Super Tuscan.

 

[AZMDTed]

I have the Mosaic and Fourtitude, both at about 90 days or so by now. Unfortunately, neither of them were impressing me at last sip. But I admit that I may be expecting Cabernet boldness when they may not have been designed for boldness. I will try them again this weekend and see if age has helped. Both are waiting their turn in the barrel so I'm hoping for good things from that.

 

[cmason1957]

I have the Fortitude and Mosaic Red both sitting in carboys. I got agreement from SWMBO and ordered the Super Tuscan this afternoon. No opinion on the ones in carboys, yet. But I love Super Tuscany so I am really looking forward to that.

 

[Rocky]

I just started a triple batch of Fortitude and reading this thread, I am underwhelmed by the comments that I have read here. I hope I did not waste a lot of time and money. It is just in its third day of fermentation so time will tell.

 

[jgmann67]

I just started a triple batch of Fortitude and reading this thread, I am underwhelmed by the comments that I have read here. I hope I did not waste a lot of time and money. It is just in its third day of fermentation so time will tell.

That's the biggest problem with the LE's, isn't it? I'm hoping that all this is akin to the Eclipse Lodi Cab - underwhelmingly "meh" while it's young only to blow you away at around 18 months. I fought the urge to tweak the kit too much, only adding some tannin in the finish because I'm afraid of over-doing it. With three kits, you have a little room to play at least.

 

[Johnd]

With things quiet in the wine room and the Chileans comfortably in secondary AF carboys, I turned my attention to the two Fourtitudes this morning. Slight variation from my original plan, I thawed the Brehm Zinfandel skins, put both kits in my big fermenter, with the zin skins and grape packs and pitched RC - 212. Decided not to do one with BM 4x4 and one with RC -212.

 

[Johnd]

Fourtitude down to 1.030 tonight, thank goodness, I've been sweating it out. I'm leaving for 5 days on a cruise on Thursday morning and will need to get it pressed and into glass before I leave. It's smellin awesome, many of the previously pressed berries have plumped back up and the cap is 6" thick. I think it's going to turn out really nicely. Guess I'll have to pass on MLF on this 16 gallon batch.