Mosti Mondiale MM Renaissance Valpolicella (with raisins)

[ibglowin]

Working my way into a few more of the Italian varietals these days and picked up this guy while it was on sale a while back. Very excited to see how this one turns out!

Juice was only 7 months old, nice and fresh the way I likes it! This kit comes with a whopping full pound of raisins so looking forward to what they will bring to the fermenting partay.

Also 90 gms of oak chips so it should have a nice but not too overwhelming hint of vanilla. I coarse chopped up the raisins and put them into a cheesecloth bag I made to assist with the flavor extraction.

5 hours post yeast pitch, fermentation is GO......

14 hours post yeast pitch.......

24 hours post yeast pitch, raisins added in per kit instructions

Nice cap formed just before raisins were added. Starting SG without the raisins was 1.100 so it should be even higher with the sugar the raisins will add.

The weather is turning more Springlike finally and its hard to choose between the winery and working in the garden!

Decisions, decisions!

 

[ibglowin]

Talk about making your own heat. The temp in the primary this AM was 76 degrees in a room that was 59 degrees! I turned off all heat yesterday after fermentation got going good and I added the raisin pack in.

Those yeasties be happy!

 

[grapeman]

Yummm, I can taste and smell it throug the wireless taste-n-smell network! I'm glad that was included with the new laptop I got back at Chriswtmas time.

 

[ibglowin]

You should make one of those Windows 7 was my idea commercials!

 

[MamaJ]

This looks wonderful!

 

[ibglowin]

Nothing like the smell of fermenting grape juice in the morning I always say!

 

[fivebk]

Mike, sounds great !!!! I LIKE PICS

BOB

 

[grapeman]

You should make one of those Windows 7 was my idea commercials!

Nah, the smell-n-taste network is in ultra pre-beta Windows X (10).

It doesn't get released to the public until- well until they are darned ready to- even if all the bugs aren't worked out yet- and at that level of computing there may some real bugs ini it!

 

[ibglowin]

Transfered to glass this afternoon.

This guy was a fizzy coke fermenter. Slow and easy but steady. I put the raisins in cheesecloth and squeezed the heck out of them to get the last bit of juice and flavor. I also decided to add the oak in primary with its own cheese cloth bag so it was easy to pull the bag out and squeeze it a bit and then open it up and pour it into a wide mouth funnel into the carboy.

Smelled wonderful!

 

[uavwmn]

oh my gosh! The nice cake like form fermenting looks delicious!! I have heard this kit is very good. Let me know how it turns out. That may be my next kit!!

 

[ibglowin]

Yep, someone (can't remember who now) said this kit had the most incredible flavor (and promise) for an italian wine and I believe it was still sorta young.

 

[Scott B]

Look great Mike.
I think I will try one soon.

 

[ibglowin]

Racked off the gross lees yesterday evening. Final SG=0.995, had to take a double look. Nice and dry for sure.

Had an ounce left over in the bucket so I gave it a quick swirl in a glass and it was VERY nice for 20 day old wine! This could be an early drinker folks. Will see how it progresses down the road. I will do my usual 6 months bulk aging. Soft tannins, lots of cherry and a little vanilla from the oak.....

 

[Waldo]

What oak did you ise on it..looks great buddy

 

[ibglowin]

Just the 3oz French chips that came with the kit. It taste just about right.

 

[ibglowin]

Bottling day for the Valpolicella!

Bulk aged for 9 months. Ran an A/O free sulfite test before hand and got 31 ppm SO2 with a pH of 3.29. This had only the initial dose of K-Meta at stabilization and one top up dose (1/4tsp) along the way. Did not add any more at bottling. This kit was filtered with the new whole house filter (pics in another thread).

Tasting notes of the left glass after filtering were overall pretty good for a 9 month old wine. This is a typical medium bodied red italian wine. It has notes of berries, black cherry, and a hint of the raisins still. Very nice acid balance and smooth tannins. Only just a hint of oak so very fruit forward. Should be a good one to serve with pasta, meat dishes and seasoned cheeses.

 

[tonyt]

Looks great, bet it taste great too. With all those Chateauneuf du pape bottles when are you going to save up 30 and do a kit of C du P?

 

[ibglowin]

You obviously have not visited the Chateau lately!

I have the CC Showcase Chateau du Pays laying down and waiting to grow up and see what it becomes, probably next Summer before a real taste.

BTW those are actually bottles that had Valpolicella in them (at least 5 of them anyway!) Trader Joe's specials!

 

[fivebk]

Looks great !!!! " as always "

BOB

 

[AlFulchino]

love the bottles too!