We finally bottled the LaBodega Port and Joseph, Mark, Janna and I were very impressed. I can hardily recommend this kit to anyone that likes port. Joseph summarized our findings:
On January 21, George and I started 6 gallons (two kits) of the Mosti Mondiale LaBodega Port Wine and fermented according to instructions. On March 10 the port was racked to seven one-gallon jugs. The experiment involved leaving some port unfortified and fortifying some with Everclear or Everclear and brandy. Additionally, some of the port was aged on French oak cubes and some received no oak.
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After 16 weeks of aging on oak, the port was bottled on June 30. The tasting occurred after the port had been racked and bottled. Although this racking ensured that the oak essence was thoroughly mixed through the wine, it resulted in bottle shock which caused the aroma and bouquet to go into hiding. They will return after a few months of bottle aging. The following are the notes for each of the seven ports tasted.
Unfortified, no oak, ABV 16%
This is the port you would get if you followed the instructions. The first impression was of sweetness, fruitiness and a faint hint of caramel. The wine has good body and was very smooth and well balanced. I believe that it will be ready to drink after two or three months bottle aging. If you want a good port and do not want to bother with fortification and adding oak, you will not be disappointed with this kit.
Unfortified, house toast French oak, ABV 16%
The oak seemed to bring the taste of the fruit forward and subdued the sweetness noticed in the version without oak. The port had good body and was well balanced. Although not now as smooth, this will happen as the oak integrates with the wine. I believe this will also be ready with two to three months bottle aging. You will be rewarded if you can wait longer.
Fortified with Everclear, no oak, ABV 20%
I could not get pass the overpowering sweetness to taste anything else in the wine. It was much sweeter than the unfortified port. I believe that the alcohol from the fortification contributed to the perception of sweetness. The port had good body and was smooth. There was no harshness or hotness from the alcohol. An addition of tartaric acid may have provided some acidity to balance the sweetness. Although I am not certain, nine months to a year in the bottle may improve this wine.
Fortified with Everclear, house toast French oak, ABV 20%
The addition of oak to this port subdued the sweetness and provided a very nice balance. The oak enhanced and brought out the fruit flavor and added a hint of vanilla. The wine has good body. There is a slight harshness due to the oak. I think with bottle age it will smooth out and the caramel and vanilla flavors will develop. I would bottle age this wine for nine months to a year before tasting again.
Fortified with Everclear and Brandy, no oak, ABV 20%
On first taste you could tell that brandy was used to fortify the wine. In subsequent tastes it was not so apparent. This wine was well balanced without the overpowering sweetness experienced by fortifying with Everclear only. The wine had good body. The brandy seemed to have given the wine a little bit of a rough edge that I would expect will disappear with nine months to a year of bottle aging.
Fortified with Everclear and Brandy, house toast French oak, ABV 20%
The oak masked the taste of the brandy and brought the fruit forward. This wine was well balanced and had good body. Both the brandy and the oak contributed to a slight roughness that should smooth with age. I would sample this one again after a year in the bottle.
Fortified with Everclear and Brandy, heavy toast French oak, ABV 18.5%
This was the Cinderella wine of the experiment. The gallon jug contained the remaining Everclear, the remaining port from the kit and enough brandy to top up. To make it completely different, heavy toast oak was used. The sweetness, acidity and alcohol were well balanced. The body was good. The heavy toast oak gave the wine a very smoky but not oaky flavor. There were faint hints of vanilla and chocolate. Because of the heavy smokiness, I believe it will take two years in the bottle to mellow to its potential.
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