Pinot Noir Experiment

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Pinot Noir Experiment:

I recieved 1 ton of Pinot Noir from Suisun Valley AVA, CA. last week. The ton consists of 1000 lb 777 Dijon Clone, 500 lb 677 Clone, and 500 lbs UC Davis 115 clone.
The fruit looks fantastic.
2023-10-09 14.19.17.jpg

The thought here is to make a bright, layered, complex wine. I started with a 3-day cold soak (< 55F). After crushing each clone separately,
We have 226 gallons of must. It should yield 150-170 gal of wine.

The Brix was 24.75 (13.85% ABV), the pH was 3.55 TA was 6.7. SG 1.105 I only combined the three must samples for testing only.

Yeast as follows:

ENARTISFERM WS for the 777 https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/d/...czbQmzJVstvKh?projector=1&messagePartId=0.1.1

3001 for the 677 clone Dry Wine Yeast - 3001 |

RC212 for the 115 clone RC 212 Dry Wine Yeast |

All yeast were hydrated according to instructions, and Goferm was used.
I pitched the yeast on Thursday afternoon, the 12th. The must was at 61-64F.

Saturday morning, the Pinot was at complete fermentation and 78-81F. I added Fermaid K.

I will check the SG Ph. and report here today, Sunday.

We plan to punch at least three times a day. Keep the temp around 75-82F. After fermentation, we will do an extended maceration for a few days. We will collect the free run from each clone of Pinot in the same proportion as received, 50% 777 25% 677 25% 115. That will be collected in stainless, and MLF will be started. The remaining must will be pressed out in another tank and MLF.

Then, it will go into the barrels after MLF and a couple of rackings. I have some 60-gal barrels with two years of use and about 25% of life left. If more oak is needed, I have adjuncts I have used. In the past. Oak Adjuncts - Tonnellerie Radoux

The Free-run barrel will need a fanciful name. I like RAW, but a winery friend in Canada already is using that, and I don't want to hijack the name. His Raw series is all Wild Fermentation, free-run wines.

Let the Fun Begin!
 
Last edited:
Saturday, 10-21-23, after 3 days of extended maceration, we pressed the Pinot Noir.
I bleed off 68 gal of free run from the three different clones. Then we pressed out the rest
and got 95 gals, for a total of 163 gals. The free run tasted perfect, and the difference between
the free run and press fractions was terrific. So rack off gross lees, do the ML, and then move into neutral oak
barrels. The pic is us bleeding off the free run. The pH ended up at 3.67
 

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