RJ Spagnols Grand Cru Malbec - sweet, minimal body

[PA_wine]

We completed our first wine kit, a Grand Cru International Chile Malbec Style.

Seems like everything went as planned, but when we bottled it on 9/15/14, we tasted the leftovers, and felt it was a bit sweet for a Malbec, with minimal body.

We only left the skins in the primary fermenter for 1 day instead of 6-7. We opted not to add the oak chips during primary fermentation (or at all, actually).

Has anyone else tried this kit, and did you think it was sweet? We tried it a month after bottling and it does seem to be a little less sweet, will that continue to improve over the next 5 months? We also see some bubbles or slight foam in the glass, is that normal? We did all the sanitation steps and "didn't fear the foam". Being this was our first attempt - would just like to get other people's opinion or experiences.

Thanks in advance for any help or thoughts.
Michael and Karen

 

[David219]

I've not made that particular kit, but I would have a couple general questions. First, why did you choose to remove the skins after only one day? What were the specific gravity readings? How did you de-gas?

It generally takes some time for the skins to give up everything they can to the must, including fermentable sugars (the SG tends to rise over the first day, or so). Removing them after only one day would likely adversely affect the body, mouthfeel, and alcohol content compared to what might have been.


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[Boatboy24]

In my experience, kit wines are very fruit forward early on. That may be what you're perceiving as sweetness. They will 'dry out' over time, as the fruit falls back and the tannins become better integrated. Having removed the skins so early, I don't know how much of this you'll see, but the fruit will fall back. You may just have what feels like a lighther bodied, lower mouthfeel wine.

 

[SouthernChemist]

One day is not nearly enough contact for the grape skins, particularly as fermentation was only just beginning. While I would not expect this particular kit wine to have a heavy body to begin with, that may be part of the problem.

Without any SG measurements, we have to assume it fermented to dryness. The 'sweetness' you taste is probably more a perception issue. Over time the flavor will change and that initial sweetness will fade. The bubbles and foam you mention sound like the wine was not completely degassed.

 

[PA_wine]

Looks like the consensus is that we took the skins out too soon. Darn it - we mis-interpreted the instructions where they said "...for maximum color extraction, add directly into the primary fermenter..." to mean they were only for added to enhance the wine color. The SG was 1.000 at the beginning, 1.000 after primary fermentation and .998 after secondary. I also agree we didn't de-gas correctly, but have purchased the drill attachment for our next round. I understand this can be resolved by decanting or leaving the bottle open for a bit before pouring. Hopefully over time, it'll build more body. It's not horrible as is, just a little different from what we expected. Thanks for the feedback - we'll get it right next time!

 

[David219]

You'll learn a little with every kit you make. You'll learn a lot by reading through as many threads on here as you can. Best of luck with your next attempt!


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[peaches9324]

You'll learn a little with every kit you make. You'll learn a lot by reading through as many threads on here as you can. Best of luck with your next attempt!


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chances are somebody else has had the same experience. PA if you didn't degas properly and it sounds as though you didn't (bubbles and foam) be prepared to clean the floor I haven't had this experience personally cuz I tend to age in carboy but sorry to say ..I think you have some loaded bottle bombs awaiting. And I'm a bit confused, you say the sg was 1.000 at the beginning? What was it before fermentation?
When was this kit started?

 

[FTC Wines]

I started this same kit Aug 8, 2014. SG was 1.102, nothing added. Left skins in for 8 days, also added 1 cup of extra oak.Still VERY young, but promising. SG after 30 days in secondary was SG .994. Will continue to add extra oak cubes on each racking. Also plan to add tannin Riche. Will age in carboy 1 year before bottling. Hoping this one to be one of MY bigger bolder Reds! Roy

 

[winojoe]

I made this kit around May/June time frame. Did not use the oak, but did use a different yeast: Lalvin D254 and raised the fermentation temperature to 85 DegF.

A yeast like D254 requires nutrient additions. I performed these at 1.060 and 1.030

So far the wine tastes all right, but expect it to get much better after a year of aging. I will bottle next spring.

 

[ShaunDanz]

I think there are a couple things wrong here.

#1. Fermentation didn't finish. You said your starting SG was 1.000 but I think you meant 1.100 as that's close to what my big reds start out at. The wine should have fermented until the wine was below 1.095. I'm guessing there is still some residual sugar in your wine.

#2. The drill mounted degasser is great. I use that along with a vacuum pump. However, I always age my wines in the carboys to get the rest of the gas out. If you are making a kit with wine skins, you are going to get a lot of sediment. I bottled a Stag's Leap Merlot on day 141 after pitching the yeast and I thought that was enough. However, now that the wine is 417 days old, there is about a teaspoon of sediment in each bottle. I now carboy age my whites for three months and my reds for a year.

That being said, I don't think all is lost. Don't drink your Malbec. Instead, get another carboy, make another batch and then blend some of your bottled Malbec back in, degas, and let it all age before bottling again.

 

[Thig]

1.095 is not that much lower than 1.100. Didn't you mean maybe .995 or.950 in your analysis?

 

[ShaunDanz]

1.095 is not that much lower than 1.100. Didn't you mean maybe .995 or.950 in your analysis?

DOH! Yes. I have found that most of my reds finish in the 0.992 to 0.994 range.

 

[PA_wine]

Happy to report that after aging, our Malbec has turned out excellent. We recently finished and bottled a Cab, and initial tasting was similar - a little sweet and not a lot of body. I guess that's just how the wine kits start out before aging.

 

[heatherd]

Glad to read that it turned out well. For the next one, you are generally paying a bit more for a kit with skins, so leave them in as long as possible while still following the directions. I generally stick mine in a mesh bag to make the process cleaner and give me the ability to squeeze the bag every day. The skins give your wine grape tannins, which is a good thing. If the kits include oak, I use it, for the same reason: it adds tannins of a different sort. There are some good posts about tannins on the forum to give more guidance.

Good luck!

 

[PA_wine]

Will do! We will use whatever comes in the kit next time.