Give it time or blend with the good stuff?

[NorCal]

I was finally able to try a 50/50 blend of the 27 brix Cab and the 23.5 brix Cab (which now has 13% Cab Franc, 7% Petite Sirah and 3% Petit Verdot).

I have to say, it was pretty darn good. I made a bottle to try on another occasion, but really for the first time, I can say that the bigger wine and heavy oak is what this low brix Cab needed to lift it up. The blending gave it some better mid palate flavors. I'm feeling a lot better about getting some of the wine in the bottle this season. I'll still keep the 60 gallon of the low brix Cab in the barrel for another year.

 

[Ajmassa]

Reading though this was interesting and insightful. I noticed all these wines are fall ‘17 which is surprising to me. (I read newest to oldest) I’ve got 20 gal of a Tuscan field blend that may need finished blending- but figured that’s a long ways away.
Its just 8 months removed from harvest. I’ve noticed big change from even March until now- and that’s without a barrel or any oak at all yet. I do understand your large volumes can cause a big space issue tho.
But if needed, I planned to make a new batch specifically to blend with instead of skimming, like you contemplated earlier. I like that plan as it gives the opportunity to make it in a way that would focus on what the problem wines lack.
Is this Cab the one you got after your buddy put in an over-Sulfursticked barrel? Just curious. I remember you guys giving it some TLC with positive results.

 

[NorCal]

Is this Cab the one you got after your buddy put in an over-Sulfursticked barrel? Just curious. I remember you guys giving it some TLC with positive results.

We had 4 winemakers go in on 2 tons on this Cab Sauv run. This was the low brix issue.

The over sulfur-sticked wine was a Mourvedre, that was a "do you want it", from a local winemaker, kinda nothing to loose. @4score and I divvied that up, but I ended up giving almost all of mine away in either carboy form or bottled. I've got so much wine, its hard for me to drink something I really don't like. However, I gave 4Score some extra gallons, which he has been oaking in a flextank, in return for a case of the finished product. I'm betting that it will be drinkable. Note: others think it is fine.

 

[Ajmassa]

Well being familiar with how you guys roll, “drinkable” and “fine” aren’t exactly where I’d think your goals are. And with so much volume it’s crazy, but I guess 60 gallons can almost be an afterthought.
The blending is something I have yet to attempt. And I’m hesitant. The last thing I wanna do is make things worse. And a big fear is blending too early to find something enjoyable changed up on me a year later. This is an aspect that seems like u get a better at judging with experience. I know I won’t feel comfortable until it’s got more age on it. Somehow i can have different tasting notes even 1 day apart! Don’t even know how it can happen but it does for me sometimes. Can be frustrating.

 

[NorCal]

We went out with a couple and I brought the 50/50 low brix, hi brix bottle I had saved to dinner. I prefaced it with a "if it isn't any good, we will order a bottle and plead to remove the corkage fee. The best of both worlds; the bottle tasted great and they didn't charge me corkage. The waiter said "it would be like charging a painter to look at his own painting". I left a good tip.

 

[mainshipfred]

AJ, I also was a little timid about blending but just 30 minutes ago I bottled my first blend. I made 100 ml samples using syringes. I had no clue how to start. All I knew was what I wanted as the main varietal. I started with 80/20 with the single as a base. All of them were better then the single varietal so I picked the one I liked best and went with a 70/20 with 10% of the other 2 with different batches and couldn't tell which one was better. Tried 70/15/7.5/7.5 but it just wasn't it. The blend ended up being 70 Norton/20 Zin/5 Syrah and 5 Barbera. It took quite a while but I think Ihave something special. I have a bottle with your name on it. Not like Paul has your name on it but yours nonetheless.

 

[Ajmassa]

AJ, I also was a little timid about blending but just 30 minutes ago I bottled my first blend. I made 100 ml samples using syringes. I had no clue how to start. All I knew was what I wanted as the main varietal. I started with 80/20 with the single as a base. All of them were better then the single varietal so I picked the one I liked best and went with a 70/20 with 10% of the other 2 with different batches and couldn't tell which one was better. Tried 70/15/7.5/7.5 but it just wasn't it. The blend ended up being 70 Norton/20 Zin/5 Syrah and 5 Barbera. It took quite a while but I think Ihave something special. I have a bottle with your name on it. Not like Paul has your name on it but yours nonetheless.

Awesome Fred! To me that sounds like a whole lotta fun. Playing with the different ratios and coming up with what you like- then I’m sure I’ll get the Mrs to then give her opinion as well. (NorCal has a slight advantage with his wife having a very good palate) I look forward to experimenting with blends soon enough.
And also hearing Norcal’s 50/50 blend go over so well is encouraging. I’m sure that was quite a good feeling sitting at the table after everyone gave their stamps of approval. (And the waiter’s artist analogy was freaking awesome!)

 

[NorCal]

Awesome Fred! To me that sounds like a whole lotta fun. Playing with the different ratios and coming up with what you like- then I’m sure I’ll get the Mrs to then give her opinion as well. (NorCal has a slight advantage with his wife having a very good palate) I look forward to experimenting with blends soon enough.
And also hearing Norcal’s 50/50 blend go over so well is encouraging. I’m sure that was quite a good feeling sitting at the table after everyone gave their stamps of approval. (And the waiter’s artist analogy was freaking awesome!)

It is the ‘ol wine making rollercoaster. I wasn’t feeling great about my 60 gallon barrel, that I have $1,000 worth of grapes and many hours of work tied up in. When I tasted that blend, I thought hmmm, this could be my answer for this year (30 gallons) and The dinner confirmed it.

So from the lows to the highs and yea, I was feeling pretty good about it, for the first time.

 

[GEM]

NorCal, how long are you bulk aging your reds? I use Flextanks a day have been shooting for 2-3 years aging. I have found that the Flextanks seem to use sulfite fairly fast to I have to check every month or two now. I ruined a couple of 15 gal tanks of CS and CF by not doing the testing frequently enough.

 

[NorCal]

NorCal, how long are you bulk aging your reds? I use Flextanks a day have been shooting for 2-3 years aging. I have found that the Flextanks seem to use sulfite fairly fast to I have to check every month or two now. I ruined a couple of 15 gal tanks of CS and CF by not doing the testing frequently enough.

My aging timeline has had more to do with space; I needed to take wine out of the barrel, flex, carboy to make space for this year's wine; so I would age the reds around 11 months in bulk. This year's barrel of Cab Sauv will be the first wine that will go for 2 years in barrel.

I found that the SO2 consumption in glass was 1/2 what I was seeing in the barrel and the wine in the flex was in between the barrel and flex. I have a google sheet reminder to check the barrels every 8 weeks, my flextanks every 10 and carboys every 12 weeks.