Cellar Craft Italian Sangiovese/Cabernet Sauvignon LR

[ibglowin]

The Showcase reds all take a minimum of 12 months. 18 months and it is a different wine, 24 months and again it is a different wine. You decide which wine you want by how long you hold on to it.

12 Months = Good
18 Months = Great
24 Months = Fantastic


As for the F-Pack with the 3 Vineyard White, don't ditch it! Either add it to the must and bump the ABV (and flavor a bit) or do what I do and add 1/2 to the must and save the other 1/2 for backweeting. That is just the right amount of sweetness to make this wine stellar with many food combinations but no too sweet to make you think your drinking Moscato or something similar.

 

[Billy8998]

Nice tip. Think I shall go the 1/2 1/2 method. Thanks

 

[joshs]

My kit arrived today and I'm hoping to get it going this weekend. Need to go buy another primary first though. I will attach a snapshot.

The one thing I don't love are the labels. Oh well, I can always make my own.

-Josh

 

[offredo]

Anyone know ratio of Sangioves to Cab

 

[tonyt]

I started this early this AM and even after mixing in the muslin bag of grape pack the SG is only a disapointing 1.086. Was 1.080 prior to stirring the grape pack in and waiting 12 hours. Could some of y'all post your starting SG. Btw I tweaked it with 2oz of untoasted American oak dust and 5 gr of FT Rouge tannin.

 

[ibglowin]

Disappointing trend here with the LR Red's from both this year and last year. My Red Mountain Trio was the same way, same starting SG. I decided to use the last CC grape pack I had on hand to bump up the SG a bit more. The addition of the second (small) grape pack brought it right in line to where they used to be.......

 

[tonyt]

Given that I do not have another grape pack I already added the one that came with the kit. Should I add some confectioners sugar or some simple syrup or some raisins. It seems to be up to SG 1 point 088 this morning. But that is still under 12 percent finishing. And if I do add something should I plan on some energizer. Or leave it alone.

 

[ibglowin]

Simple syrup up to ~1.095-1.100 depending on your personal preference for ABV.

 

[tonyt]

Well guess what I DO have a grape pack AND a pack of raisins. They are sitting in the Mosti Meg Rojo Intenso (Cab / Shiraz) kit that I have on deck. The instructions say only to use one or the other but I did plan to use both. My inclination is to take the raisins and add to the CC Sang Cab. May add some simple syrup too. Thoughts?

 

[joshs]

WE seemed to have the same issue with their LE Nebbiolo this year. Tim seems to be saying all sugars are there and will come out over the course of fermentation.

There is a link to his blog post in the thread in this forum. I will try and grab it later. I realize this kit isn't from WE but it sounds like a similar issue.

Josh

 

[joshs]

http://www.timswineblog.com/2013/04/a-matter-of-some-gravity

Above is the link if anyone is interested. Again, I realize they are from different companies.

Josh

 

[ibglowin]

With a 2.6L grape pack I would be inclined to just add simple syrup. When I added that 2nd grape pack to my RMT it had a boatload of sediment way more so than normal making for more gross lees than normal. Also the KenRidge website says this wine will have a 13% ABV. That means it should have been around 1.092 to start with.......

Looks like QA/QC has taken a hit with the "merger" of the two companies.

 

[Boatboy24]

I haven't had any of these issues with either of my two Red Mountain Trios, my Red Mountain Cab, or my California Grand Red. All have started in the neighborhood of 1.100. I'm wondering if there is an inconsistency issue, or if the process is just different, and it takes much longer for the SG to rise with the grape pack addition.

Or maybe I'm just measuring wrong.

 

[tonyt]

When they dropped the CC LE line all together and rolled it onto the KinRidge line I had mixed feelings. I was glad to be able to get a KR product from FVW but worried about loosing what I have come to know as excellent and reliable Cellar Craft products.
Mike, I just added the Raisins from the MMM kit. it's fermenting away so It's too late to know an actual starting SG. That in and of itself is aggravating.
Joshs, I read similar comments from T.V. on another forum. And asked then and now "how the HEdoubleL do we know a starting SG?
Boatboy, I didn't have issues with RMT either, in fact I did two of them. But this LR kit is KinRidge Showcase, the RMT was a Cellar Craft product/recipe. I'm not skeptical, I'm just drawn that way.

 

[joshs]

Great point Tony. We will never know the true starting SG.

Josh

 

[ibglowin]

Not quite true. You have your starting SG,(1.086) then, at whatever point you add your raisins, recheck your SG, add raisins etc retake SG again. Your starting SG would be your original SG + the additional bump in SG from the raisin pack

 

[joshs]

I believe that Tony has already added the raisins, post inoculation.

My comment about not knowing the starting SG was based off TV's theory that the sugars will integrate over the course of fermentation.

-Josh

 

[tonyt]

Right John. Too late for me plus TV says it takes days for all the sugars to impact. Reviewing the instructions again it says "Note: the initial specific gravity reading should be taken right before the yeast is added. By TVs own admission that will be understated.

 

[Boatboy24]

I'm going to be anxious to try another Showcase or LR release kit from Vineco to see if it's got a lower SG to start. My process is usually to get the kit put together, then add the grape pack and wait an hour or two before pitching the yeast. I'll stir a few times during that time. After I pitch the yeast, I stir and measure SG 2-4 times during the first 24 hours and use the highest reading as my starting point. Does anyone else do anything similar, or am I just a little OCD about this?

 

[tonyt]

SG is already down to 1.025, wow that was quick. I have to mention that this is one of the most fragrant fermenting wines in primary I have ever done. I ferment in the kitchen and when I enter the garage (two rooms apart) I can smell the wine. It seems like only three or four other wines have had this noticeable aroma while in primary. Hope that's a good sign.