RJ Spagnols RJS En Primeur Winery Series - Italian Super Tuscan

[Yooper🍷]

Just received Super Tuscan kit. Anyone done this kit? What tweaks did you do and how did it turn out? Would you do something different?

 

[katmike57]

Did one and bottled back in July. Didn't vary from the instructions, and what I sampled was quite tasty. Measured 13.1% ALC. I'll probably open a bottle around Jan 1.

 

[Khristyjeff]

I started this one April 14th and didn't stray from the directions (I generally don't tweak the high end kits). It is still bulk aging but I tried it after racking a month ago and it tasted good already. I'll probably bottle at the 9 month mark or later, assuming it will get even better with age. BTW, the Amarone EN Primeur is very good as well.
Hopefully others will chime in for you as well.

 

[Monty Knapp]

I love the RJS Super Tuscan kit. I've made it 4 times.
It is easily the best wine I've made.
I don't deviate from the instructions too much.
I add 1/2 - 3/4 tsp of tannin at the beginning. And some extra oak.
I usually give it longer to clear, then rack. And leave it another month or so, then filter, then wait another month or so and bottle.
So, I basically follow the instructions up until the clearing/bottling (except for adding tannin and more oak).
But I don't get in a hurry to bottle it. A little extra time in bulk aging makes a difference - just remember to add Kmeta every 90 days, or each racking/filtering....

 

[Yooper🍷]

Started it today. Substituted ec1118 with BM4x4 and added go-ferm. Sg was 1.20 also bumped oak up from 80 to 100 gr. When Sg is down 1/3 plan to add 5 gr ferm - k then when drops 1/3 again add another 5 gr.
Don’t think it will get that high but fermented dry should give 16%. We will see. I see there is another Monty on Greetings Monty. Thanks for your post.
monty b.

 

[sour_grapes]

Started it today. Substituted ec1118 with BM4x4 and added go-ferm. Sg was 1.20 also bumped oak up from 80 to 100 gr. When Sg is down 1/3 plan to add 5 gr ferm - k then when drops 1/3 again add another 5 gr.
Don’t think it will get that high but fermented dry should give 16%. We will see. I see there is another Monty on Greetings Monty. Thanks for your post.
monty b.

Was the SG 1.120?

 

[SLM]

I started this kit last November. It was my second kit ever. Other than bulk aging I followed directions. Bottled yesterday. Wife approves, it's very drinkable.

 

[Yooper🍷]

Thanks sour grapes. I missed the 1
it was 1.120

 

[Mike Parisi]

I have made this kit twice, following instructions with no deviations / tweaking. Both came out great.

 

[Gilmango]

I made this kit in April and just bottled it just shy of 6 months, tasted very good at bottling. Even though it was just my 3rd kit I had several deviations from the kit instructions:
1. no bentonite or any other fining agents
2. added 8 oz. raisins, and 4 oz. dried apricots in a muslin sack
3. used BM4x4 yeast with Go Ferm, and added Fermaid K at 1/3 fermentation
4. did a short extended maceration of 25 days including the primary fermentation, basically sealed the Speidel under airlock just above 1.000 and did not open it again, instead rocking the fermenter to keep grape skins and the raisin/apricot fruit pack wet
5. added 1 oz. med. toast french oak cubes and 1 tsp. tannin complex to the secondary
6. bulk aged 5 months before bottling, no filtering, and no fining as mentioned in #1, just racked a couple times early on after the EM, then once more just before bottling.
7. I should also note that I deliberately bought the 18L sized RJS EP before they were replaced by the 14L, as to me the larger sized seemed like a good thing, though I am coming around on that having bought a couple super concentrated Finer Wine Kits more recently.

If I had more carboys I would have aged even longer but not wanting to buy more carboys, and only having one other wine bottled (my very first kit, which is just OK - RJS International Cru Nebbiolo) I was happy to get this one into bottles.

Bulk aging I have two RJS EP Amarones (also the old 18L size phased out this year for 14L), along with a Finer Wine Kit Super Tuscan which I treated the same as this RJS EP one for comparison purposes (so I need to bottle that within a month to keep things fair), and a Finer Wine Kit Barbera. Now joined by my first ever 2 carboys of wine from grapes I picked, both Mourvedre, and a 3rd carboy of 2nd run wine from the same Mourvedre pomace (which was the reason I needed the Super Tuscan's carboy).

For the first time all year I don't have a wine in primary! Time to make some homebrew first and restock those reserves.

 

[pour750ml]

My neighbor and I made this kit back in 2019, just hit the 1 year mark for being bottled in September. Ran this ferment with BM 4x4, 2 week EM, and 7 month bulk age w/ Xaokers. During primary, we kept the fermentation temp between 68 and 70F. Had exceptional results and still waiting to get into the 18 month/2 year mark before diving into more bottles.

Cheers!

 

[pproctorga]

I made one last year after strong recommendations for this kit. My OG was 1.121 following the instructions. My initial yeast was RC-212. It only got down to 0.999 FG after sitting a couple of weeks and adding some EC-1118 to try to get it down further. I have learned now not to blindly follow kit instructions. I ferment in conical fermenters with Tilt hydrometers talking to FermenTrack on RPIs, and the gravity chart was flat with no further progress. I should have brought the OG down to a reasonable range from the beginning. I should have moved it to a keg for bulk aging, as the fermentation was not done, but stalled. It is now carbonated in the bottle (so the yeast had a little more life in it), and quite good after running it through a blender to degas. I'll do this kit again, but make it following my normal practices along the way rather than just relying on instructions.

 

[Bmd2k1]

Just received Super Tuscan kit. Anyone done this kit? What tweaks did you do and how did it turn out? Would you do something different?

Made mine per instructions earlier this year minus any clearing agents (I let time and a few rackings do that for all my wines) - bulk aging on 1 American med toast oak spiral now...for 6months. Smells awesome and barrel tastings have been delish! Bottling late Nov.

Good Luck!

Cheers!

 

[Old Corker]

I made this last year. Skipped the fining agents although I did use the bentonite. BM4x4 yeast, 4 week EM, bulk aged for 12 months, added 1 tsp tannin riche a month before bottling and bottled two weeks ago. It was very good when we bottled. Would like to like to let it age another year but the holidays are coming and there will be pressure to open some. That makes two kits, this one and a WE Amarone that I have made it to 12 months aging before bottling. I'm getting there.

 

[Yooper🍷]

It was down to .98 this morning so transferred to carboy for secondary fermentation. Tasted it - think it is the best wine I’ve ever tasted at this stage. I’m impressed. Old Corker I’ve got a Amarone that went over a year old a couple months ago. It also was really good.

 

[sour_grapes]

It was down to .98 this morning so transferred to carboy for secondary fermentation. Tasted it - think it is the best wine I’ve ever tasted at this stage. I’m impressed. Old Corker I’ve got a Amarone that went over a year old a couple months ago. It also was really good.

I have never seen a wine get down to 0.980. Did you mean 0.998?

 

[Yooper🍷]

Missed the 9. Your right.

 

[Joecmk]

I love the RJS Super Tuscan kit. I've made it 4 times.
It is easily the best wine I've made.
I don't deviate from the instructions too much.
I add 1/2 - 3/4 tsp of tannin at the beginning. And some extra oak.
I usually give it longer to clear, then rack. And leave it another month or so, then filter, then wait another month or so and bottle.
So, I basically follow the instructions up until the clearing/bottling (except for adding tannin and more oak).
But I don't get in a hurry to bottle it. A little extra time in bulk aging makes a difference - just remember to add Kmeta every 90 days, or each racking/filtering....

I'm making my second batch of the Super Tuscan kit. You said you added extra oak...which type of oak did you add? Did the extra tannin you added make a notable difference?

 

[Rocky]

I just put this kit on today. I love the En Primeur kits, and I am looking for a super bold wine. My SGi was 1.104 and if I can hit an SGf or 0.995 or so, I will be a little over 13% ABV. The yeast that came with the kit was Lalvin EC1118. I added that yeast because I was starting with a wine temp of 65 degrees F instead of the recommended 68 degrees, but I believe "ol' Turbo Yeast" will warm it up. I have some Lalvin Bourgovin RC212 that I may add, not sure at this point. Among the tweaks I am considering are black currants or raisins in secondary (i.e., after SG 1.020) and some French oak in bulk aging.

I have made this before and it is always a crowd favorite.

 

[Brian55]

I just put this kit on today. I love the En Primeur kits, and I am looking for a super bold wine. My SGi was 1.104 and if I can hit an SGf or 0.995 or so, I will be a little over 13% ABV. The yeast that came with the kit was Lalvin EC1118. I added that yeast because I was starting with a wine temp of 65 degrees F instead of the recommended 68 degrees, but I believe "ol' Turbo Yeast" will warm it up. I have some Lalvin Bourgovin RC212 that I may add, not sure at this point. Among the tweaks I am considering are black currants or raisins in secondary (i.e., after SG 1.020) and some French oak in bulk aging.

I have made this before and it is always a crowd favorite.

Is this the old 18L kit or the new 14L?