WineXpert Fourtitude with Grape Skins

[Johnd]

Bottled as planned (and as I had proposed - 26 full bottles, 8 half bottles). Capsules, labeled and resting on the rack.

Nice job, really nice looking label / capsule job!!

Mine's due out of the barrel in a few weeks, probably a little more carboy time, bottle in 2017 I think...

 

[jgmann67]

Nice job, really nice looking label / capsule job!!

Thank you! It's a little simpler than past labels, but I'm finally comfortable with this as my "brand."

I did an extra 45gr of French and Hungarian oak (Med/Med+). I'd be interested in a comparison in a year or so.

 

[ceeaton]

Bottling this weekend. Set out 26 - 750ml bottles (brown, standard Bordeaux), and 8 - 375ml bottles. Will sanitize on Saturday and bottle after church.

So since you bottled this after Church, does that make it a sacramental wine?

 

[jgmann67]

So since you bottled this after Church, does that make it a sacramental wine?

At our church, we just get unfermented grape juice. This would perk up services, that's for sure.

 

[Johnd]

Thank you! It's a little simpler than past labels, but I'm finally comfortable with this as my "brand."

I did an extra 45gr of French and Hungarian oak (Med/Med+). I'd be interested in a comparison in a year or so.

Deal, we'll do a swap, I'd like to try yours as well. Probably quite a bit of difference, mine's not by the book.

Double batch (12gallon) fermented with the pressed skins from a few pails of Zinfandel, no clearing agents or sorbate, 2 months +/- in a new 40L Vadai, it's still sitting and will get checked 12/20. Assuming it's nice and clear when it comes out and doesn't need a bunch of work, might break the rule and bottle it a few weeks later.

Below are the three I bottled today.

 

[ceeaton]

At our church, we just get unfermented grape juice. This would perk up services, that's for sure.

That's what we get too. I just remember the good 'ol days at the Episcopal Church were we got some Sherry to liven up our Sunday mornings.

 

[ceeaton]

Below are the three I bottled today.

Three? Looks more like three hundred.

 

[Johnd]

Three? Looks more like three hundred.

LOL! Three batches, 90 750's and 6 375's.

 

[jgmann67]

Thinking I need another wine rack.

 

[jgmann67]

Did a baseline taste this evening. I wouldn't say this is a big wine at all. But it has decent body, color and nose. The flavor is not fully integrated, but with the extra oak I added in the last few months, I'm not surprised. It has a red raspberry finish that I enjoyed, too.

 

[Johnd]

Did a baseline taste this evening. I wouldn't say this is a big wine at all. But it has decent body, color and nose. The flavor is not fully integrated, but with the extra oak I added in the last few months, I'm not surprised. It has a red raspberry finish that I enjoyed, too.

Mine reached its time mark in the 40L vadai yesterday. It'll get a good tasting this weekend when I return from the forest.

 

[ceeaton]

Mine reached its time mark in the 40L vadai yesterday. It'll get a good tasting this weekend when I return from the forest.

Are you going over a river before going through the woods?

Waiting for a good report from that barrel...

 

[Johnd]

Are you going over a river before going through the woods?

Waiting for a good report from that barrel...

Will be crossing lots of rivers along the way, but not the big river, although the property is only a few miles away.

I too am hoping for a favorable result, double kit with leftover grape skins. Cool thing is that I filled the barrel and a bunch of 750's (sanitized and corked), I'll try to hang on to a couple unoaked bottles so I can compare tastes down the road.

 

[Johnd]

Fourtitude double batch came out of the barrel very nicely. After spending a couple months in a new 40L barrel, the Aussie blend emerged clear, it was nicely oaked, with a good nose, firm, but fine tannins, and a well integrated variety of fruit. Bottled it yesterday and sat down and drank an entire glass and enjoyed it very much. I'm very impressed.

Didn't retain the unoaked "top up" bottles, would have needed way too much commercial wine to top up the carboys. The new vadai angels gobbled some serious wine, nearly 6 bottles in 2 months. 60 bottles and 5 375's headed to the racks for a long nap.

 

[jgmann67]

Fourtitude double batch came out of the barrel very nicely. After spending a couple months in a new 40L barrel, the Aussie blend emerged clear, it was nicely oaked, with a good nose, firm, but fine tannins, and a well integrated variety of fruit. Bottled it yesterday and sat down and drank an entire glass and enjoyed it very much. I'm very impressed.



Didn't retain the unoaked "top up" bottles, would have needed way too much commercial wine to top up the carboys. The new vadai angels gobbled some serious wine, nearly 6 bottles in 2 months. 60 bottles and 5 375's headed to the racks for a long nap.

They look great, John! I'm pleased with mine as well - again, no monster wine, but very enjoyable. I would imagine the added barrel time bring this (or any wine) to a completely different level.

How long of a process from yeast to bottle was this?

 

[Johnd]

They look great, John! I'm pleased with mine as well - again, no monster wine, but very enjoyable. I would imagine the added barrel time bring this (or any wine) to a completely different level.

How long of a process from yeast to bottle was this?

I'm at work and don't have my notes with me, but I know these kits came out in early '16, but I wasn't able to start the pair right away, but they definitely didn't get my normal full year before bottling, probably more like 7 months. The fermentation on grape skins went well and they cleared quickly in the carboys, and I bought a new 40L Vadai to oak them in. Since it was new, they only sat for two months in the barrel and went back to glass. I'm a couple of empty carboys short for the Spanish must that's coming in this week, so I bottled them and freed up the two carboys I need. The Fourtitude will get most of its aging in bottles instead of in bulk.

 

[jgmann67]

I'm at work and don't have my notes with me, but I know these kits came out in early '16, but I wasn't able to start the pair right away, but they definitely didn't get my normal full year before bottling, probably more like 7 months. The fermentation on grape skins went well and they cleared quickly in the carboys, and I bought a new 40L Vadai to oak them in. Since it was new, they only sat for two months in the barrel and went back to glass. I'm a couple of empty carboys short for the Spanish must that's coming in this week, so I bottled them and freed up the two carboys I need. The Fourtitude will get most of its aging in bottles instead of in bulk.

I thought we started these kits about the same time (I may have a month or two on you). I added 60gr of oak during aging and may have swapped out the yeast for something more suitable, and maybe added a little tannin along the way (like you, I'd have to go back through my notes). But, I think that's about it.

 

[Johnd]

I thought we started these kits about the same time (I may have a month or two on you). I added 60gr of oak during aging and may have swapped out the yeast for something more suitable, and maybe added a little tannin along the way (like you, I'd have to go back through my notes). But, I think that's about it.

I'm pretty sure we received them around the same time, I just didn't start mine for a couple months or so. Used RC-212 for the ferment, skipped oak for barrel time.

We'll have to swap some bottles and do side by side comparisons.

 

[jgmann67]

I'm pretty sure we received them around the same time, I just didn't start mine for a couple months or so. Used RC-212 for the ferment, skipped oak for barrel time.

We'll have to swap some bottles and do side by side comparisons.

I'm game! Anytime.

 

[Johnd]

I'm game! Anytime.

PM me your info, I'll mail you some stuff while it's cool down here.