Other Master Vintner Kits?

[geek]

Yup, saw that email too. They really want to move out those LE in stock.

 

[pillswoj]

I would buy several at that price if they were up here in Canada, the RQ 17 Merlot that these kits are is absolutely fabulous and sold out very quickly.

 

[Christopher Jardine]

And yet it's still 5 liters short of a Mosti all juice kit. Those juice bags are a two person job to get them poured into the fermenter.

I cheat with those big bags and siphon it out into my primary (just like racking it) until it reaches a more manageable size. I do the same thing with my fresh juice, I like the extra room in my bigger primary pail and I make less of a mess when it is in a bigger primary pail.

 

[jgmann67]

I would buy several at that price if they were up here in Canada, the RQ 17 Merlot that these kits are is absolutely fabulous and sold out very quickly.

I did my RJS RQ17 the traditional way and am doing the LE16 Cherie Merlot under an extended maceration. There's about 6 months difference between them. Taste testing should be fun.

 

[pillswoj]

I did my RJS RQ17 the traditional way and am doing the LE16 Cherie Merlot under an extended maceration. There's about 6 months difference between them. Taste testing should be fun.

Look forward to hearing the comparison in a couple of years[emoji485]

 

[Brian55]

I relieved them of another Merlot and Chard, couldn't pass it up. Oaked, or unoaked... That is the question.

 

[jgmann67]

I relieved them of another Merlot and Chard, couldn't pass it up. Oaked, or unoaked... That is the question.

I vote oaked!

 

[geek]

I relieved them of another Merlot and Chard, couldn't pass it up. Oaked, or unoaked... That is the question.

Oaky Chard for me.

 

[geek]

Transferred to 6gal plastic carboy, SG ~1.018
Some oak chips and a few seeds came in but not bad, most of the seeds stayed back with some sediment along with some oak chips and just a bit of skins; I think I got most of the skins transferred.

Although not ideal but I am not that much concerned about the headspace.

I am going to try the EM on this one and see how it goes with CO2 and head space.

 

[facn1989]

Here's what I've got currently bottled. Although most of the older ones (mid 2014 and older) are down to a bottle or three.
WE Lodi ranch 11 Cabernet Eclipse 02/13
WE Stag's Leap Dist. Merlot Eclipse 03/13
WE Italian Barolo Eclipse w/skins 03/13
WE Lodi old vines Zinfandel Eclipse 09/13
WE Australian Petit Verdot Sel Int. 10/13
WE Argentine Malbec Sel Int. w/skins 11/13
WE Barossa Valley Shiraz Eclipse 01/14
CC Showcase Amarone 01/14
CC Yakima Valley Cab/Shiraz 02/14
WE South African Shiraz/Cab LE 2013 02/14
WE Lodi ranch 11 Cabernet Eclipse 03/14
CC Showcase Red Mountain WA Cab 04/14
RJS Italian Nero D' Avola RQ2014 05/14
WE Washington Cabernet/Merlot LE 2013 06/14
RJS Monastrell Petit Verdot RQ2014 07/14
RJS EP Italian Super Tuscan 08/14
CC Showcase Chateau Du Pays 08/14
CC Showcase Lodi Zinfandel 10/14
RJS W.S. Italian Rosso Bravissimo 10/14
RJS W.S. Italian Super Tuscan 11/14
RJS WS French Grenache Syrah 11/14
WE Lodi Ranch 11 Cabernet Eclipse 12/14
RJS WS Australian Pinot Noir 01/15
RJS EP Chile Pinot Noir 02/15
WE Italian Barolo Eclipse 04/15
RJS WS Italian Valpola 04/15
RJS EP Italian Amarone 05/15
MM Orig. all juice Nebbiolo 05/15
RJS WS Rosso Grande Eccellente 07/15
RJS WS Chilean Malbec 07/15
RJS RQ2015 Chilean Cabernet/Merlot 08/15
Passport Washington Petit Verdot LR2015 09/15
Passport Italian Brunello LR2015 10/15
CC Walla Walla Cab/Merlot 11/15
Passport Chilean Volcanic Red LR2015 12/15
RJS RQ2015 Italian Aglianico 01/16
WE Eclipse Forza 02/16
MM Meglioli Sicilian Primativo 03/16
MM Meglioli Amarosso 03/16
RJS W.S. Italian Super Tuscan 04/16
WE Italian Barbera LE2015 05/16
Passport Australian Cab Franc/ Cab Sauv. LR2016 06/16
WE Mosaic Red LE2015 08/16
Passport Italian Montepulciano LR2016 09/16
Passport Three Country Cab. LR2016 10/16
WE Vermentino LE2016 03/17

Which are your top 5 favorite kits in order? I understand some might be too young. but would like your opinion since you have made many kits

Thanks

 

[Brian55]

Which are your top 5 favorite kits in order? I understand some might be too young. but would like your opinion since you have made many kits

Thanks

Difficult to narrow down a top five, and even more so to put them in order. Glancing over my list the standouts have been (in no particular order):
WE Lodi ranch 11 Cabernet Eclipse
WE Italian Barolo Eclipse
WE Barossa Valley Shiraz Eclipse
CC Showcase Amarone
WE South African Shiraz/Cab LE 2013
CC Showcase Red Mountain WA Cab
WE Washington Cabernet/Merlot LE 2013
RJS EP Italian Super Tuscan
CC Showcase Chateau Du Pays
RJS W.S. Italian Super Tuscan
RJS WS Chilean Malbec
Passport Washington Petit Verdot LR2015
Passport Italian Brunello LR2015
CC Walla Walla Cab/Merlot
Passport Chilean Volcanic Red LR2015

Anything beyond that is still too young to judge.

 

[DG2001]

Is there anyone who has made the Chardonnay? I would like to pick up one to try. Love a good Chablis.

 

[Brian55]

Is there anyone who has made the Chardonnay? I would like to pick up one to try. Love a good Chablis.

Yep, we bought two of them, one is bulk aging, the other is still in the box waiting for the fermenter.

 

[Trevor7]

Is there anyone who has made the Chardonnay? I would like to pick up one to try. Love a good Chablis.

I've made two and am very happy with the results. Waiting to see if MV has a 2017 offering.

 

[pillswoj]

If they do, wouldn't just be a repack of the RJS RQs again?

 

[Trevor7]

I’m not convinced that MV just repackages RJS RQs (but then again I have yet to make any RQs). I do have a Tempranillo coming when released in March. Then again, maybe it’s my wallet that doubts!

 

[Brian55]

I’m not convinced that MV just repackages RJS RQs (but then again I have yet to make any RQs). I do have a Tempranillo coming when released in March. Then again, maybe it’s my wallet that doubts!

Last year they were definitely reboxed RJS.

 

[kire]

In case anyone is still thinking about these kits Midwest Supplies has the Merlot for 79 and Chardonnay for 69 with a special of NO SHIPPING costs on anything, including wine kits! Both 18L kits.

 

[Brian55]

In case anyone is still thinking about these kits Midwest Supplies has the Merlot for 79 and Chardonnay for 69 with a special of NO SHIPPING costs on anything, including wine kits! Both 18L kits.

The early results are looking and tasting quite good from the RJ's R.Q. kits that I paid full price for. The five M.V. reboxes I pulled for half price are going to taste even better when considering what I paid for the juice.

 

[kyle5434]

From what I've read, the 18L kits are guaranteed to be good for about 1 year from the manufacturing date. Since these were released in Dec. 2016, anybody have a sense for how much longer these could safely sit on the shelf before starting them? It's a good buy, but I won't have any free carboys (or fermenting/storage space) for another 2-3 months.